Forgiven Forgotten Forbidden
by MantyMouse
Summary: A love that is forbidden. A secret that can't be forgotten. A betrayal...forgiving is only one way out. Ginny and Draco break the rules that were lain down a long time ago!
1. Never enough to do

Forgiven. Forgotten. Forbidden.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters or places in this story. They belong to J.K Rowling although i have changed parts of characters to fit the story line which is entirely my own. I'm not making any money from this site.

**Blurb: **Sometimes forbidden is the best kind of love. Sometimes secrets once revealed can never be forgotten. Sometimes a betrayal can never be forgiven. Draco and Ginny are the most unlikely pair, yet unlikely is only one word that could be used to describe this relationship, and this journey...

**Authors note:** Some scenes may be slightly explicit though i try to keep it to a minimum. I made up the story line myself so please dont have a go if it sounds like someone elses slightly, i didn't copy, but be fair there is only a certain amount of words in the dictionary. I really hope you like it! please review as this is my first!

--

Draco and a few of his cronies made their way along the train peering into compartments for a suitable first year to terrorise out of their seat. So far they'd found none, they would probably end up skulking at the end of the train in the toilets. Draco knew that once he was there he would end up desperately trying to defend his reputation while turning down cigarettes.

They saw a compartment full of girls and two of the larger boys pushed open the door and elbowed their way in, Draco hung back, he disliked picking on women, it disgusted him and made him feel as though he couldn't find a real fight. There were only four girls inside, one Draco recognised as Weasley's sister from the year below. She stood up, hands on hips.

"If you _don't _mind, we're sat here." She said loudly, tossing her head in an annoying manner, the larger of the boys in the carriage scoffed,

"We don't care, we're sat here now Weasel. _Filth._" Gregory Goyle added the last word under his breath.

"Oh I don't think so." Ginny took a step towards him and raised her hand warningly, he just looked at her stupidly. The girl sighed, then mustered her strength and slapped him hard around the face. He staggered. A red patch appeared on his cheek and Draco smirked approvingly, little Weasel wasn't as gormless as her brothers then. And she was a darn sight better looking. Long red hair pulled into a ponytail with just a little framing her face at the front, her shirt undone perhaps one button to far for someone with such nice breasts and her loose hanging tie only accented this. She raised her eyebrows sceptically, noticing his gaze, and he blushed and looked away. _Blood Traitor and good for nothing the lot of them…but nice legs all the same. _He shook himself and glanced around for Pansy, covering up for his moment of self-treachery by slinging a casual arm around her waist. Ginny made a gagging motion to her friends and shut the door firmly behind the gang of retreating Slytherines.

--

At the sorting ceremony a deathly-bored Draco glanced over to Griffindor table. Next to Potter and Granger a long line of redheaded idiots sat cheering for every freshman that joined the table. He glanced to the only one of the Griffindor's for whom he had any slight respect, Ginny Weasley. She was slightly more decent than she had been in the carriage of the Hogwarts express now she was wearing her robes but she still looked remarkably stunning, smiling and clapping for every little child that stumbled down from the sorting hat to join the mass of red and gold ties. When she looked at him, however, all she saw was Draco Malfoy looking elegantly bored and not paying the blindest bit of attention to the poor sods that entered his House. _Arrogant prick,_ she thought, not for the first time that evening.

--

"Hermione what the bloody hell am I going to wear?" Ginny moaned desperately grappling with her hopeless wardrobe to find something suitably slinky.

"Ginny darling, it's the first night back, you know it's only an induction party for the first years no one cares." Hermione called back in a patronising tone from her seat in front of the mirror,

"Oh Hermione that's easy for you to say. Look at you." Ginny gestured up and down Hermione, who wore a low cut red jumper/dress and black leggings her hair pulled back in a scruffy, seductive manner, she looked gorgeous.

"Oh for heavens sake Gin, just take a look through my wardrobe borrow what the hell you want, just don't be late. Parvati, Lavender and I are going down now. Ok?" Ginny nodded as they took their exit, leaving her stood in her underwear surrounded by piles of clothes.

--

Ginny walked into the Ravenclaw common room, it was jammed, and dark, barely space to breathe. She had finally decided on skinny jeans tucked into black boots and a corset-like black silk and lace top. Her hair was loose and wild, a small amount caught back with a butterfly clip. She sighed and gazed around, there were never enough boys here; Hogwarts was beginning to bore her. It was ok for Harry with his romances and adventures that Ron and Hermione became caught up in, but for average people like her Hogwarts meant nothing more than lessons. She saw Hermione and Padma in the middle of a crowd of 7th year boys, Ron and Harry were on the shoulders of Fred and George, singing loudly under the influence of alcohol and a large game of spin the bottle was monopolising the centre of the room.

Some one's hand offered her a drink, she took it without thinking and downed it in one. At this the person attached to the hand made a noise between disbelief and admiration and handed her another glass, this time somewhat larger.

"You look nice." He ventured an arm going to rest on her waist. Ginny seemed to notice him properly for the first time, _Draco Malfoy? _

"Huh? What do you want?" She looked bewildered,

"Forget it." He snorted and walked away, linking arms with Gretchen Catrall from his year. _Arrogant prick, _she thought, yet again. She finished her drink and reach to grab a third from a nearby house-elf tottering between them, muttering a brief thanks while interestedly checking the vicinity for something to do.

Some time later she joined a small crowd surrounding some hat on the floor.

"Oi Griffindor! You in?"

"Huh?" She replied, wondering what the hell he was talking about,

"Name in the hat, one of us boys picks a name out takes you home for the evening. Come on love!" She realised the speaker was Seamus Finnegan, a very drunk Seamus Finnegan. He handed her a slip of paper and a quill. She looked at the other girls. Ginny Weasley was not going to be de-faced here, not at some stupid first night party. She took a last swig of her drink and scribbled her name, adding it to the hat full of tart's names.

After a few minutes the game begun to get under way. Draco Malfoy left with an older Ravenclaw girl, Ginny thought he looked disappointed, he certainly gave her _a _look, she just wasn't sure _what _look. Soon enough her name got lifted, by a Slytherine, she groaned internally, just her luck. He was muscley, tall and looked pretty stupid and pretty drunk. But she supposed he wasn't tragic looking and the other girls eyed her nervously as she took his arm and left the room looking more confident than she felt.

--

They hadn't got more than a few steps from the common room when the boy who's name she didn't know, or was too intoxicated by drink to remember, pushed her into an empty classroom. She hit a desk sharply and cried out, he grabbed her by the wrists and bent her backwards over the desk, biting and kissing her neck, grunting something at her that she couldn't understand. He smelt of beer and he was strong. Ginny began to get scared, what the hell had she got herself in for? One hand held the back of her head in place, though she struggled against his foul kisses the resistance seemed to spur him on, made him groan more at least. The other hand grappled to undo her top, rip it from her in some way, she heard the beginnings of tearing fabric. _Oh god, oh fuck. _She thought to herself every time she could get a breath. His legs (all three of them) were rammed against her stomach where she was so much shorter than him, the whole bulk of him was practically suffocating her.

"Christ woman how long do you take? Get them out!" He grunted at her,

"W-What?" She spluttered back, having sex for the first time with a cross breed of a troll had not been high on her list of things to do tonight.

"Your boobs woman!"

"No!" She squealed back, trying to wriggle free. What she wanted right now was for Harry or Hermione to come and rescue her, she would have even settled for her older brothers finding her in such and undignified position, if only she could get out. He just yanked her closer, put his head right next to hers so she could practically taste the alcohol, and whispered

"Sluts like you make me sick!" He spat on her. She screamed and kicked him hard in the shin so he was forced to let go. Then he pushed her hard to the floor. Her head smacked against the stone with a sickening noise, she felt it bruise and screamed in pain. He slammed the whole force of his body on top of her, pinning her down.

"Now take your top off!" He spat at her again, and Ginny's mind began to blank. She was panicking, this wasn't what she meant by an _interesting _evening.

"Help! Help me!" She screamed the first thing that came to her mouth,

"What the bloody hell? We're trying to have sex here! Oh my God…Ginny?"


	2. Touch of Fate

**Authors note: **This conitnues from chapter one, please review. remember that falling in love isn't always as easy as 'you see someone nice, you hook up, you kiss'. It can involve so many emotions.

"Draco what do you think you're doing?" A drunken girl yelled from a corner of the room that Ginny couldn't see or care about.

"Just go ok?!" Draco replied calmly, walking over so he stood above Ginny's head while doing up his flies. She closed her eyes for the sake of whatever dignity she had left.

"Get off her. Got that? Now! Or I'll see you to the next Slytherine entertainment evening and, son, it wont be pretty." Ginny was shocked by Draco's sense of power, little did she know he sounded more confident than he felt, he was hanging onto his power in Slytherine by a very thin thread.

The boy lifted his weight from her and made a rude gesture at the two of them. But Draco lifted a warning fist and the Slytherine grunted incomprehensively as he left. They were alone.

Draco put out a hand to the little girl he now saw hunched on the floor. _The feisty Ginny from the train, the jovial, laughing Ginny from the ceremony, the rather lovely slut-like Ginny earlier, and now helpless nearly-been-raped Ginny…How many of her are there? _He thought to himself. She struggled to lift the weight of her bruised body and he crouched down concernedly putting an arm out to support her back, turning away to let her regain her modesty.

--

Ginny pulled her top up hurriedly to cover the rather large amount of cleavage on view. She also flattened her hair down a little and found herself wishing she knew a spell to heal bruises.

"You wanna know what you're going for when you play games like that." Draco advised helping her slowly to her feet,

"Huh?" She said again, still feeling the fogginess of her liquor-ridden brain.

"Do you ever say anything other than 'huh'?" Draco opened the door and steered her in the opposite direction to the party, towards the Griffindor common room.

"Yes." She showed a feeble attempt at indignance but let his arm linger around her shoulders as they walked, if only for accuracy of steering.

When they reached the common room Ginny slurred out the password and once inside Draco sat her down on the comfy chair nearest the fire. He knelt in front of her and cleared up all her bruises then pointed his wand at her head and recited the anti-intoxication spell. Ginny's eyes cleared and found themselves gazing into gentle grey ones that had shown her more tenderness in the last few minutes than any had shown her in a lifetime. _How is this Draco Malfoy? What have I done to deserve this friendship? Why the hell is he being so sweet to me? _She mused to herself.

Draco felt a tug of emotion within him. _What on earth am I feeling for this girl? What's she done to me? _He felt somehow child like in his embarrassment and curiously reached out to touch her. To see what it would feel like. He reached up to her face and his thumb just brushed her skin. She blushed. He smiled just a little bit, feeling pleasure well up inside him because she had felt something too. _God knows I didn't come out tonight to fall in love, I was only trying to get laid for god's sake and now I'm here helping a blood-traitor of all people. What the bloody hell am I doing?_

He cleared his throat and stood up suddenly, he sleepy eyes followed him in a bewildered fashion as he made for the portrait whole quickly.

"Draco wait." She called after him, but he didn't even look back. _Arrogant prick. I seem to be calling him that a lot recently. _She laughed to herself and painfully lifted her heavy body from the chair. Her right hand went absentmindedly to her cheek and she felt herself grow warm again remembering the lightest of touches from his fingers, _Draco Malfoy, what on earth have you done to me? _

--

**references in this chapter: **Ok just the one:

The touching cheek and hand remaining there moment: One i first read about in a book call 'Love and other four letter words'. I then experienced a similar moment in real life and couldn't resist but add it in, as it fit draco and ginny perfectly.


	3. Confusion hurts

**Authors note: **I hope you enjoy this chapter, it was an easy one to write cos in this chapter i am Ginny, or rather Ginny is going through something that happened in my past. I hope you like it, please please please review it!

--

The next day Ginny was right as rain. Except for her heart, it kept telling her things she so didn't want to hear and she despised every moment she thought of the scumbag Draco. _Ginnerva Weasley, get a grip! Look at all the truly evil things he's done, to even think about him is practically treachery! _

She left the common room with a large group of friends that morning, saying her usual thanks to the Fat Lady as she opened for them,

"Not at all my dear. But Ginny, _do _try not to bring anymore Slytherines into our common room wont you, it just isn't the done thing I'm afraid." Ginny stopped dead colouring up to a nice shade of tomato, all her friends were staring at her with worried faces,

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even _know_ any Slytherines." She replied smoothly, "Oh you guys go on without me, I think I dropped my pen." She added quickly to stop her friends staring, and then scampered back to the portrait. As soon as they were out of earshot she whispered to the Fat Lady,

"I know I brought a Slytherine in here, and I'm really sorry, I promise it wont happen again, just please don't mention it to anyone." The Lady raised her eyebrows but nodded, and Ginny scampered away.

After two hours of hideously dull Potions, followed by the briefest of breaks before a Transfiguration lesson, Ginny didn't feel she could face the muggy tower room belonging to Professor Trelawny. Instead she went outside, heading away from Hargid's hut and the greenhouses and walking towards the Quiddich stands.

Ginny only cared for Quiddich in a detached way, she played the sport but she didn't live and breathe for it like some people did. As she reached the stands she found the Slytherine team just leaving the showers from a practise and mostly ambling their way back up to the castle. _Good! Like I'd want to see any of them. _She sat down with a book and sunk into it, not noticing that barely two seats along Draco Malfoy was doing the same.

--

Malfoy saw her and found himself struggling an internal battle yet again. _What has this Griffindor done to me to get me so hung up on her, all she did was look at me, that's all. _But Draco knew he'd never been looked at in that way before, he'd been wanted, for any number of things, but he'd never been shown love. It was all new and scary.

"Hey are you feeling ok this morning? Last night was rough." Ginny jumped out of her skin then turned to face him coolly,

"Nothing I couldn't handle thank you. I'm perfectly fine." She felt her face burn scarlet, the only thing cool about her was her words, and they tumbled out before she thought of them. Draco quelled under her cold gaze,

" I was just asking. I'll go then." His face hardened looking into her eyes. It was gone. There was no love there now, just confusion and hurt, and frankly he'd had enough to that to last him a lifetime. He got up and began to walk away, not looking back.

Ginny swore to herself, that wasn't what she'd intended to say. She stuffed her book into her bag and jumped up to follow him.

"Draco wait. I didn't mean it. Come back."

"Look, love, you're wasting your time. Just do me a favour and clear off ok?" He didn't even turn to look at her until she caught hold of his arm. He felt the tremor run through his body, he faltered in his stride and met her eye.

Ginny blushed, she had to; she swallowed a large lump in her throat. Two sides of her were waging a rather painful war against each other right now.

"Thank you for last night." She managed to force out rather breathlessly, she felt like a child as she squeezed his arm to show she really was thankful,

"Hey is that all I get? Geez standards are dropping love." A mischievous smile spread across his handsome face, Ginny had to smile back,

"What exactly did you have in mind?" She smiled even wider. They feasted on the playful shine in each other's eyes. Both were learning really, both were testing their strength to take this to the next level.

Draco tucked a strand of her golden-red hair behind her ear and let his fingers linger on her cheek for just a moment. She felt the fire again, and he felt curious. He pulled her closer with his other hand, their heads were so close now, and Draco closed his eyes. He could smell her sweet, clean smell, unfamiliar yet comforting. He could feel the gentle caress of her breath tickling his cheek. He imagined, wished beyond wish, that they were the only two people in the world.

Eventually he looked up, blinked a few times, and smiled his gorgeous smile,

"I think we can figure something out." He whispered. And then he left. Just like that. Ginny felt her heart pull. She wanted to follow. She stood still for several long minutes drinking in what had just happened, then she took a deep breath and shook her head.

_Is he leading me on? Arrogant prick. _She thought to herself, and smiled contentedly.

--

For the next two weeks Ginny skipped lessons every time she knew Draco had a free, somehow she could never find him. He never stopped to talk to her in the corridors and he never sought her out. She wanted to believe he was busy, but she knew better.

Draco meanwhile, was avoiding Ginny at every cost. He knew he couldn't complicate life anymore it was dangerous enough. And while he knew he was hurting her, and that in turn hurt him, the hurt would be much greater if they were allowed to love. _Some things are best forgotten_ He thought miserably.

Later Ginny was walking down the corridor past Transfiguration, alone again. She heard voices inside McGonagall's office,

"Mr Malfoy it's not the daydreaming that I have a problem with. It's the rude replies when I ask you to stop." Draco shrugged and turned to leave, he couldn't be bothered any more. McGonagall rolled her eyes despairingly.

As Draco walked out of the classroom he saw Ginny frozen to the spot watching him, eyes blazing angrily.

"How DARE you? How dare you?" She yelled at him somewhat madly,

"Woah! How dare a what?" He asked cautiously, backing off.

"Leave me with nothing for two weeks. Don't pretend you didn't feel anything Draco Malfoy because I know you did. And now this. I felt something for you, I thought you were different to the picture everyone paints of you. But do you have any idea how wrong I was?" He stepped back more, gulping and shaking his head, he wanted to prove her wrong but he knew had no evidence whatsoever that she wasn't 100 right.

Hell this wasn't what I planned on happening. Why can it never just slip away into dreams? God why does she look so sexy when she's angry? No! Shut up brain. Think what you'll do to her…just pretend she's not sexy!

"Look Ginny you have no idea. I'm sorry…really-" He lost his train of words and just spluttered. She just gave him an 'if looks could kill' glare. Then she slapped him.

Ginny found the smack and the cry from Draco incredibly satisfying. Somehow as she ran away from his hurt and confused face she found the strength not to cry. The sooner she found something that resembled a punch bag the better.

--

**Hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought by reviewing it. Be kind as this is my first attempt at a FanFic. x**


	4. The Key

**Note from the author: **Firstly a big thanks to** Megsaklutz** and **Christine957 **for being the first to add me to their story alert list. really appreciated guys! Secondly please review...are the chapter lengths ok? constructive critisism is much appreciated! Also take note of a certain vow/promise made in this chapter...it is soo important!

--

Ginny walked nervously along towards a charms classroom, she knew that behind that door was Draco, and she had no idea what she'd see when she looked into his eyes. It scared her. She had been sent from her potions class to get him from Professor Snape on 'confidential' business. She knocked as loudly as she could and entered the classroom.

Harry, Ron and Hermione gave her question looks but she merely shrugged and addressed Draco,

"Professor Snape wants to see you on confidential Business Malfoy." Hurt flashed across his face as she called him by his last name and Ginny instantly felt guilty. Draco looked at Flitwick who nodded.

Ginny noticed how Draco's tie was undone low and so was his shirt so that it showed off some of his gorgeous body. She saw how his hair fell across his eyes when he bent down, so he had to brush it away when he stood again. She noticed the particular way in which he hitched his bag onto his shoulders.

"You coming _Draco_?" She emphasized the use of his first name in an attempt to reconcile and smiled brilliantly at him.

Draco nodded meekly and followed her smiling eyes from the room, trying to keep his feelings as hidden as possible. They shut the door behind them and walked along in silence, but it was a reflective silence not an awkward silence. Draco reached down for Ginny's hand and their fingers interlocked.

"I'm sorry love." He said gently and she nodded, smiling.

At the door to Snape's dungeon office Ginny held back. Draco lifted her hand to his lips and rested it there, feeling the strong desire to pull her closer and never let her leave. Love radiated between them in the moment and neither wanted to leave it, so small, so seemingly insignificant that kiss on the hand, but it meant so much to two unloved teenagers clutching at straws for this relationship.

"Ginny you should go back now. Snape wants to talk about something private. I'll catch up with you later." She noticed his eyes flickering away from her own and knew something was very wrong. But to please him she smiled sweetly and nodded turning as if to walk away.

She walked very slowly until she heard the dungeon door shut behind him and then she crept back. Having sneaks for older brothers had kept her in good practise at keyhole listening, so she crouched down and pressed her ear to the door, taking care to cover her mouth with her hand so as to quieten her breathing.

The professor didn't beat about the bush:

"Draco, between your information and mine, some other sources also, Dumbledore has tracked down Voldemort's plan involving the Key." Ginny frowned, she heard Draco draw a sharp breath,

"We were right then? He does need someone?"

"Oh yes no doubt about it. And that, I'm afraid, is only the good news."

"Why? Who is it? If it's bloody Potter again I will scream." From outside the door Ginny smirked, she could hear the boredom and annoyance trailing through his voice.

"No, Draco…it's…he wants…Ginny Weasley."

--

Everything was slowing down; her heart flew to her mouth. And then she ran. Ginny ran and ran, no tears coming, only blind panic. She was marked for death, or capture, torture or all three. Marked by Voldemort. She felt her breath screaming to get out of her lungs, refusing to let her rest as her mind span round and round.

Draco felt sick. He needed to physically wretch. _God why? Why her? Why me? How did all this get so complicated after just one touch? Hell, I hate life._ His head spun, he knew he could never tell her this and yet he was dying to spill his every emotion to her so that she could comfort him, _love _him.

"I have to go." He muttered to Snape, and practically ran from the room.

Once outside he felt calmer, taking deep gulping breaths of air, fooling himself that it was ok. He was shaking so violently that by the time he reached the lake he barely had strength to stand. He sank to the ground and hugged his knees to his chest, he felt lonelier than he'd felt since he left his parents. And now to top it all he felt unclean, as though he was leading Ginny by the hand to her doom. He dug his fingers into his trouser legs with one hand and tore up handfuls of grass with the other. This seemed to calm him.

Ginny staggered in the direction of the nearest bathrooms. Once inside she clutched the side of the washbasin while she wretched over it, heaving until she'd turned out her insides completely. The whole of her body felt sick, dying, she just wanted to disappear.

Shakily she raised herself and went to the next sink along. Ginny turned on the taps with shaking hands and splashed cold water over her face, hoping it would calm her down. She looked into the mirror. Her complexion was white and clammy, her eyes wide, her hair was plastered to her forehead with cold sweat. She slowed her still ragged breathing, _it's going to be ok, it has to be ok, it's going to be ok._ Ginny repeated it over and over in her head as she walked to the common room. It was like a talisman against the deathly cold that was threatening to overwhelm her, as long as she could pretend it was ok then somehow it would be. And Draco…_is this love? Or am I just a part of his good guy act? Passing information from death-eaters…how could I ever trust him?_ Everything that she'd been brought up to believe told her that pure-bloods like Malfoy were best avoided, how could she go against her upbringing like this? To even look at him would probably be enough to get her disowned by her entire family. _I don't need them if they don't accept me for who I am; I've always had dark in me. I knew it the moment Riddle took me to the chamber. _

--

Time flew by for Ginny; it was like hell on earth. Her friends noticed her fading, dark circles appearing under her eyes, her beautiful smile very rarely visible, but there was nothing they could do. She'd gone somewhere they couldn't contact her, she was drifting in her own world and try as they might no one could get out of her what was wrong. Draco noticed but fell back helpless. She was avoiding him and it hurt him badly.

The first time they met, after that brief moment outside Snape's classroom, was at sundown on the last day of September. Draco had spent all day working up the courage to tell her and now he knew he had to. He knew where he would find her. Walking round the edge of the Quiddich stadium, alone and sad.

"Ginny I need to talk to you." She stopped and let him catch up, taking a deep breath and trying to force a smile,

"Oh really. That's nice. What about?" Draco frowned, grabbing her arm and pulling her round to face him.

"Ginny? You look tired, and pale. Is something wrong?" His hand traced her face timidly, shaking as he ran his thumbs across the black circles under her eyes that shone plainly from her ghostly complexion. His other hand slipped to her waist and what he felt made him take a step back. "Ginny you're so thin, what's happened? What have you done to yourself?"

He sounded angry, afraid, and when Ginny heard this in his voice the tears began to flow. She let them fall in earnest, unable to stop the salty water from streaming down her cheeks, her nose running thickly.

"No!" His mind went blank. _Why didn't I see this before? _He thought. "Ginny you heard. You waited. I told you to go!" He began to raise his voice; he was backing away, shaking his head desperately. _This isn't what I planned, this is how I wanted it to be…oh Ginny! _

"Draco I had to. You were worried. You have to understand I _knew_ something was wrong. I just wanted to hear-" She had to raise her voice now to stop him from going. "Draco just _listen_! I had every right to know. And you kept it from me." The last sentence she spat at him, quieter than the others and he knew he had betrayed her.

"Ginny I was coming to tell you. I wanted to explain. I wanted to tell you it would be alright." But the words were empty and useless. She fell to her knees on the ground and began to sob uncontrollably her shoulders shaking violently. Her cries echoed through Draco like knives, they tore him apart because they were full of despair. And he feared despair above all other things.

"Don't leave me." She whispered through her anguish. His arms engulfed her. He rocked her like a baby. And yet it was him, the lost and lonely little boy that needed comforting more than ever, but as usual he turned his feelings inward and concentrated on holding her tightly, letting her know she wasn't alone.

"Don't worry love. I'm staying right here. I promise I wont leave you."


	5. Bliss and Memories

**Author's Note:** Hope you like this chapter, the action will pick up faster soon. Read the parts about Ginny's family life carefully, just cos its big and smiley on the outside doesn't mean everything is ok under the surface! Please review! Big Thanks to ...

FirePrincessofSlytherine17 who is my first reviewer!

Adriane and Joey for adding me to favourites

My Alerts:

FirePrincessofSlytherine17, LunaBella 006, Megsaklutz, Signy Malfoy, Christine 957...Thank you all so much!

--

The frosty chill of the first days of October seeped into Draco's heart like a deadly poison. He now feared the future as much as he feared the past. A future with Ginny was the only way he would ever find bliss, but a future with Ginny would eventually mean a future without Ginny.

The Dark Lord's plan haunted him in his every waking, and most sleeping moments. Voldemort needed yet another way to ensure eternal life, he needed to capture a soul that was perfectly balanced, one who could walk the line between light and dark easily, referred to as The Grey Soul. They had to be neither good nor bad, and not tipping in either direction, the perfect combination. He needed to be able to attach himself, mentally, to this soul. And then he would use it as a key to hold open the void of time. For only a person with perfect internal balance could do this, could take him back to interfere with events that had nearly meant his down fall. He needed to take Ginny with him to hold fabric of time together, while he went back, with the final secret, and destroyed the baby Harry for good. Draco shuddered when he thought of it. Voldemort wouldn't kill Ginny; he would destroy her.

Ginny remained blissfully oblivious when it came to her being The Key. All she knew was that she was marked for something, and Draco planned to leave it that way. Meanwhile Ginny found that thoughts of the Dark Lord were swamped slightly by thoughts of Draco. The few precious moments that she had spent alone with him were enough to intoxicate her mind for hours at a time. One dream led to another and soon she was spending the nights yearning to have him by her side.

--

He caught up with her on her way down to care of magical creatures. Draco crept behind her and tickled her waist, laughing as he heard her scream. They exchanged a smile and Draco felt, that despite what she knew, everything would be ok between them.

"Come with me. Don't go to magical creatures." He said and took her gloved hand, raised it to his lips and then led her in completely the opposite direction, around to the back of the school.

"Draco darling, where are we going?" She flashed a playful smile in his direction,

"You're happier." He observed quietly. Her smile was real, her cheeks flushed slightly, her hair wild and gorgeous, and she was walking with a spring in her step.

"I can fight it Draco." He looked confused, "Fight Him. I'm marked for death or capture and it was haunting me, and then I think of us. It's going to be ok. As long as I'm with you."

"Then I think you will like this surprise darling. You don't have anything planned for tomorrow do you?"

"It's Saturday, I was going to go to Hogsmede with Mione. But I suppose if you wanted-" He put a finger to her lips,

"Ssh love." She smiled and followed him around to the forgotten side of the castle, away from the bustle of lessons.

Draco pushed open a little wooden door at the bottom of a tower, it led to his secret hideout and no one had ever been there. He found he was excited, bringing Ginny there meant she was special to him; she was a part of him. The spiral stairs got gradually smaller and more dizzying as they neared the top of the tower. Draco hesitated slightly with his hand on the doorknob,

"Close your eyes sweetheart, and take my hand."

When Ginny had walked blind into the room she took a deep breath. It smelt nice, clean and open, with a certain familiar scent that she couldn't place. She opened her eyes slowly,

"Oh Draco!" She breathed. It was the most beautiful place she had ever seen, a circular room with five stained glass windows in the walls that cast delicately tinted shadows on the carpeted floor. Come to think of it, it was the first room in Hogwarts she had seen with a carpet and not rugs. There was a single comfy armchair and a bookcase against one wall, a desk stood next to the armchair, littered with scraps of paper and quills. And at the back of the room a king-sized bed was fitted out with white and silver sheets, shimmering in the dancing light. The simplicity of it made Ginny smile, it was so unlike the brash, flashy Draco that everybody saw and thought they knew and it was so very like the him she had known in the moments where he had shown his true self. A wide floor to ceiling window was right opposite the bed and Ginny felt the warmth from the afternoon sun pouring in through it.

"Draco, this means a lot to me. Thank you for showing me…you." She touched his cheek and felt it's warmth.

Draco found himself bound to the spot under her touch. Ginny was like a brilliant light and she was all he could see. She drew closer and soon his body screamed to touch every inch of hers.

Ginny found the breath knocked out of her as they kissed. She knew she'd begun something that would never fade because within that kiss she felt both bodies and minds screaming for tonight, and both hearts crying out for forever. Nothing would take her from Draco now, nothing short of death. Their lips fitted together like the pieces they never new they were missing.

Draco caught one hand in her hair, felt it's soft warmth and the other he placed tenderly in the small of her back, finding it fitted perfectly. He loved the feeling of her arms encircling him, holding him safely like he'd never been held, not by any girl, not even by his mother.

--

Much of the afternoon whirled by in kisses of similar passion. Then as evening drew in Draco disappeared briefly and Ginny sat waiting for him on the bed. She let down her hair and took off her shoes and socks and then all her unnecessary school clothing until she was sat in just a skirt and shirt.

"Honey I'm home!" Draco called, and she laughed allowed.

Draco smiled to hear her laugh; it was music to his ears that had been deprived of sounds so beautiful for such a long time. He remembered listening to Muggle classical music, in secret, as a child, and then he shuddered when he remembered the bruises he's sustained when his father caught him. He opened the largest of the windows and bade Ginny to climb out with him.

It was the most magical moments of her life, as she sat watching the sun go down with Draco, leaning on his powerful chest, eating chocolate ice-cream covered in multi coloured sprinkles. Then as they crawled back inside at dusk to lie next to each other on the bed, she'd never felt so alive.

Ginny remembered times at home when she'd wished for a handsome prince. Their house was always noisy, always full and there was never enough of anything to go round. As the last child born she'd always been made to feel like a burden, like it was her fault that there was never enough money for everything. The twins had argued with Mum, they had even run away once, Ron argued with everyone. Percy had left for good after arguing with Dad. Mum and Dad had argued, Charlie had argued with Bill. Bill had argued with Mum. Charlie had left because of the arguments; Bill had left because he blamed Mum for Charlie leaving. Ginny had tried to keep out of it. She'd tried to keep her head down. Then the one time she'd had a boyfriend, Luke, Molly and Arthur had argued over whether it was good that he was a Muggle, then all the family had argued with her because it was her fault the arguments had started. She'd wished and wished for peace, she'd yearned to _belong _somewhere. And safe in Draco's arms she felt she could belong, she felt that she was loved.


	6. Naive

**Author's Note: **I know this isnt very long but it contains important points. thanks again to everyone who has reviewed, alerted or favourited me! Keep on supporting me guys i cant thank you enough. Please review again & let me know if you like it! Hope you enjoy...

--

Ginny woke up to the mid-morning sun tickling the back of her neck. She lay still for a moment and realised she wasn't in her own bed. Then she remembered the amazing evening with Draco and smiled contentedly. Slowly she rolled over and reached a hand for Draco's. Ginny sat up abruptly, her smile fading fast. Draco wasn't next to her. He wasn't in the room. _What's happened? Where is he?_

Ginny had never dressed so fast. She pulled her crumpled jumper and tie on, throwing her robes over her arm and forgetting to put on socks as she pushed her feet into her cold shoes. She ran down the tower and out of the door, across the grounds, through the entrance hall. No sign of Draco. It made Ginny's heart jump from her chest painfully, _Why would Draco just disappear like that? _She thundered in an ungainly manner into the Great Hall. On the Griffindor table Harry, Hermione and Ron were waving at her but she ignored them. Draco was far more important. Upon finding the hall devoid of any Malfoy-like presence Ginny made to run for the Slytherine common room, ignoring the stitch building in her left side.

She had got barely halfway down the next corridor when Ginny heard footsteps catching up to her. Then someone caught her arm gently,

"Ginny wait."

"Hermione? No I've got to find Draco, he just left." Ginny was panting, she clutched her side and Hermione gave the younger girl a pitying look. She seemed about 11 stood there now, uniform crumpled, hair messed in a sleep-like fashion, eyes fearful and tired and her body shaking from shock.

"Ginny calm down. He isn't here. Didn't you know honey?" Ginny wrenched her arm away from the older girl's grip.

"Know what Hermione? If I knew anything do you think I'd be running around the castle like a mad woman? For god's sake don't mess around with me, whatever you know, whatever you have to say, just say it. I'm not in the mood for being patronised here!" Ginny's voice rose to yelling volume and Hermione took a step backward.

"Him and Snape are gone." Ginny looked blank.

"Oh Gin sweetheart, don't be so naïve! The mark. The Dark Mark. It burned early this morning, Dumbledore told us because we'd been out late and saw them leaving. He said you'd need to know. They don't know when they'll be back." Hermione didn't say it, but Ginny knew she meant 'they don't know _if _they'll be back.'

"He left without telling me?" She was confused; her brain wasn't keeping up,

"Gin do you think they have time for that? Do you think he'd want to worry you?"

"No."

"More to the point Ginnerva, what the hell were you doing with him last night? What the hell are you playing at anyway? Draco Malfoy? You've left me without an explanation and he's the enemy…Ginny why?"

"Hermione I love him!" Ginny pushed past her friend and ran towards the tower again, it was the only place she would ever be truly happy again, she knew.

Hermione followed at her own pace, giving Ginny time to stem the tears should she wish to. When she entered the circular tower room Hermione could see why Ginny had come here, it really was beautiful, she couldn't believe Malfoy had created it.

Ginny lay curled on the bed, on top of the covers, holding tightly to her pillow. She had stopped crying after the initial outburst. Ginny was never weepy for long, if ever. When she saw Hermione she sat up,

"I love him Mione. I don't know why, I don't know how. We didn't do anything last night, we just lay here, that's all I swear. But I wish he was here now, I miss him and he's only been gone a few hours."

"Christ Ginny. Couldn't you find anyone else? What about Harry, you've liked him forever. Or Dean? I thought you had a crush on Seamus?"

"Hermione now you're the one being naïve. This isn't a crush Mione, this is different." She paused, "This is love."

--

Draco left the hall feeling extremely shaken. He had never got used to the meetings of the Death Eaters with their harsh, cruel ways, their cold sense of humour, and especially the despair that filled him every time he felt The Dark Lord's eyes upon him.

He dawdled to a side room. His father 'wanted a word' and probably a punch or two but that didn't worry Draco any more. Draco sauntered in, trying to keep his cool, but he lost it as soon as he felt Voldemort's presence in the room. Lucius addressed his son, looking at a spot about two feet above Draco's head, and talking in a monotonous tone.

"You know all about the Key now Draco. The Dark Lord feels you will be a valuable spy at Hogwarts. I expect you to uphold our family honour and spy successfully, if you can get close to the girl, so much the better. I can't believe it's actually Ginny Weasley, I mean, at least she's a pure blood, but a Weasley…Who would have guessed the scum could have that much power?" Draco let his father's insults and instructions fade away, he clenched his fists in his robe pockets. Answering back would put him and Ginny in danger, but it made him angry to know how his father stepped all over him like this, and how any other boy his age would have walked out or stood up to their dad. But Draco's life depended on him remaining meek and quiet, and it hurt him.

"Oh and Draco we have certain information that may upset you. Concerning your sister…"

"MY SISTER? What sister?" Draco's mind span, free fall into a void of confusion and all he could think was _what the fuck?! _

Lucius smiled a malicious smiled and Draco knew something was very wrong. His father lifted up a small bottle of light blue, swirling liquid. Memories.

--

Ginny found classes a dull and unnecessary part of her life. Three days and Draco hadn't come home yet. _What on earth can I have done to be put through this much torture? _She thought nearly every minute of the day.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had been a great comfort to her, taking her mind off things. Sometimes Ginny saw Ron and Hermione getting closer and she felt happy, they deserved each other. Two purely good souls finding comfort in one another. Ginny laughed as she thought it, maybe her and Draco deserved each other, two corrupted souls finding love in one another.

Then at other times Ginny thought she felt herself blush when she exchanged glances with Harry, was there something in his look?


	7. Sister Blister

**Author's Note:** Thankyou to every one who has read this so far, to all reviewers and people who have added me to their alerts or favourites, it means a lot! Hope you like this chapter, its longer and i really enjoyed writing it.

--

When Draco got back to Hogwarts it was the early hours of the morning, his nerves were shot, all he really wanted was coffee and sleep, or maybe something stronger than coffee. But instead he had to sit and recount everything to Dumbledore.

By the time he had finished with Dumbledore it was nearly breakfast and Malfoy was fit to collapse. But he knew, as he walked into the great hall, that he wouldn't rest until he'd found her and talked to her. His tired eyes swept the Griffindor table, upon finding her he found no smile was possible. _What am I supposed to say to her? How on earth can I tell her? I hate my father. _

Ginny saw Draco entering the hall and before anyone else had even turned to look she was hurtling down the aisle full pelt, eyes shining and heart leaping from her chest. But as she skidded to in front of him Ginny new something was wrong, his eyes gazed over her head. _Draco's looking at someone else. I'm not who he came back for. _He gently pushed Ginny aside so he could continue walking. Ginny's world began to fall in slow motion, she actually thought the sky was crashing down around her; Draco's smile was for Hermione alone.

Draco knew he'd confused her, it was written all over her face, but he'd never felt so happy as he took Hermione by the hand and led her away from the hall. So many people were staring. Cho had left Harry's lap to stand by Ginny, Ron had dropped a glass, Parvati and Padma had stood either side of Ginny as if to protect her. Whispers were flying faster than snitches, but Malfoy didn't care, he only had eyes for one person.

Ginny was hardly ever weepy if she could possibly help it. Even now she merely stood with jaw hanging wide open and did a gold fish impression. Her brain was working over time, fuming, she couldn't figure it out. _Hermione! _What had she done to deserve this? Ginny's fist slammed hard on the nearest table, making some first years jump and shuffle along hurriedly. Her eyes met Ron's. She rarely agreed with her brother but now she merely shook her head at him. _It can't be true. Not him with her. I'm so sorry Ron. _

-­-

"Draco what is this about? Do you have any idea what you've just done to Ginny? You left her without a word, and then you're being like this with me. What the hell are you playing at?" She raised her voice to yelling volume and placed her hands on her hips,

"Will you cool it Hermione? I need to talk to you without it becoming world news. And I swear to you now, I have not played Ginny." Hermione didn't look convinced and took a step towards him threateningly. Draco raised his hands in hurried surrender.

"Hermione you're my sister."

"Pardon?" She spluttered "Are you INSANE? You total prat. How dare you suggest such a load of…well…frankly such a load of balls! I am an only child and so are you. For god's sake Malfoy you've gone mad." He had to laugh, he didn't mean to, but the stinging sensation after a satisfying smacking noise told him he shouldn't have done it. Rubbing his check he continued.

"Listen Hermione. My parents were totally ashamed when they _thought _they'd produced a squib, my father wanted to kill the baby. But mum obviously let maternal instinct take over and decided to send it to a Muggle adoption centre. I have the vaguest of memories of playing with this other child, a little girl. But my parents saw to it that both of us had our memories removed. Hermione you're not just my sister, you're my twin."

"Draco you're scaring me. Seriously, Hermione _Granger_ not Malfoy, you know. And that is the most pathetic made up story I've _ever _heard. Ever. I don't remember you at all. I can't believe you think I'd fall for that. You're a total asshole you know."

"Hermione listen, please." The tone of almost begging must have got through somehow, because she closed her mouth and raised an eyebrow expectedly.

"Hermione, our parents never named my twin because they thought you were a squib. Your stepparents named you. And if you don't believe me, take this…I've just had mine returned to me." He held up a small vial of memories. Hermione snatched it from him.

She uncorked the bottle and muttered an incantation. Slowly, delicately, the memories floated back into the side of her head, and Hermione gasped suddenly. She felt so many things rushing back to her.

**The flicker of a warm fire through the bars of the cot and the smell of clean blankets all around her. Her and Draco fighting over her teddy bear, it belonged to her not him. Daddy not wanting to pick her up. Not being allowed to see Draco,** _why not_? **The room was now dark and cold. It was raining and Mum was taking her somewhere, and she was crying for Draco and Daddy, Mummy is crying too but she won't go back. The place wasn't nice, so many children crying; strange children, but no Draco, and Mummy still hadn't come back. Now friendly arms picked her up, a nice smell, not Mummy or Daddy but it was still nice.**

Hermione's eyes welled with tears and Draco rushed to embrace her. They clung desperately to each other, she grabbed tightly to the back of his robes and he stroked her hair. _It's been so long, I can't believe it. _He thought happily.

"I remember Draco, I remember." She whispered softly as she attempted to stem the tears.

--

A considerable time later Draco and Hermione had explained everything to Ron, Harry and Ginny. They had congregated in Draco's tower room and skipped lessons. Ginny still hadn't met Draco's eye. Not surprisingly she was finding everything a little hard to take in.

Harry and Ron, looking thoroughly dazed eventually persuaded Hermione to come to last lesson with them. Seeing the tact in leaving Ginny alone with Draco, Hermione reluctantly followed them from the tower.

Draco and Ginny sat completely silent in the room, it echoed with bitter thoughts, all the _would have's _and _might have's _floated between them and Draco couldn't think of a single thing to say to her. He wasn't sure what was wrong, _why is the fact that Hermione is my twin such a problem? _

"It wont be the same again will it?" Ginny asked bluntly and Draco shrugged in an awkward manner,

"Guess not. If you mean that you're not the only one I have to protect now, you're not the only girl in my life any more, you're not the only one who can understand me now…"

"I'm not the only one who can LOVE you…yes please do rub it in some more! I've been with you a matter of weeks and I've already broken my heart over you Draco. Now you have someone who can truly understand you, how do you think I feel right now?"

Draco left the room but Ginny heard him linger outside the door. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry, nor the gloating pleasure of knowing she would leave the tower room because she couldn't bear to stay. That was not something she would do. Ginny waited a good hour before removing herself, and several possessions she had left previously, from the tower and making her way back to her dormitory. She slept with difficulty that night, knowing full well that Draco needed only one woman in his life and it was not her.

--

Draco's joy at finding Hermione soon evaporated when it began to sink in what affect this had had on Ginny. He knew she thought he'd used her, he really hadn't, but him and Mione had become so caught up in each other he knew it must look like it. In truth he didn't miss her. Somehow it hadn't quite been love, it had been so much physical attraction and now when he saw her walking past he still felt a little sad that she wasn't lying next to him that night. She was young, she wouldn't understand how hard he found it to love, to care, to believe in anyone. He could only trust himself, his childhood had taught him that, he'd only just got his memories back and it was hard to trust anyone after having that much stolen from you. The only person you can trust is yourself. _Hermione practically is me, I can trust her. _

Ginny felt so alone as the month flew by. She had been invited to the Halloween party in the Slytherine common room even thought it was technically only for older students, she knew she'd get in with some guy, any guy, that was what happened after break ups. She didn't want to but as soon as she was drunk she knew she'd need to. And hell she needed to get out of herself. Ginny found herself pointlessly flirting with older boys for the sake of having someone who would touch her, she also spent hours in front of the mirror ensuring that she looked perfect only to not go out at all in case she saw Malfoy. Ginny knew she was falling to pieces, so did Hermione but there was nothing she could do to stop her.

Draco saw Ginny walking with a group of girls from the hall probably on her way back up to the dormitory.

"Ginny!" he called out, cringing as the girls gave him looks that would fell any tree,

"What do you want _Malfoy_? I'm going to get ready for the party, Seamus will be expecting me." Ginny's tone was cool as ever, her eyes sparkled when she was angry and Draco noticed the fire he had first seen on the train this September, she really was the only Weasley he would ever respect.

"Ginny go and get ready for the party, but come down and meet me just outside the doors, there's another party and I want to take you." He was childishly blunt but it was a sure fire way of getting through to her. Malfoy was blushing to his roots, _hurry up and answer woman, how difficult is that question? _

"You can wait for me if you like." Ginny replied coldly and turned to walk back up the stairs. She didn't smile till she was out of sight of Draco, she knew she would go and meet him.

An hour and a half later Ginny was still searching for something suitably sexy to wear. She found herself in the same position as she had been first night of term, only this time it mattered so much more. Draco wasn't in love with her, and she wanted him to be. Parvati and Lavender had already gone down to the party and Hermione was doing a last check on her outfit.

"Ginny dearest, are you coming?" Hermione knew with a glance at Ginny's face that there was somewhere else she wanted to be,

"Mione can I tell you something?" She nodded, "Draco asked me to come to another party with him, I really want to go. God Mione, I think I actually love him."

Hermione nodded, sadly, Ginny had fallen for the wrong guy. He was her brother and she loved him, but she knew that to be connected with him meant danger and pain, Ginny was walking into a death trap.

"Ok Ginny, I understand-I think. Be careful." She rested a hand on Ginny's arm and turned to leave, "Oh and borrow anything of mine you need, I know you want to look good tonight."

"Thanks Honey."

Ginny did another scan of both wardrobes and found a suitable red dress, pinafore style, which she put with black high-heeled boots and a black neck scarf and wore a red hair band in her hair. Quickly she ran from the tower down to where she had arranged to meet Draco. To her relief he was waiting for her, looking absolutely gorgeous and slightly nervous.

Draco saw how beautiful Ginny looked. He took her hand and smiled nervously, tonight was another test to see where this would go, every step was so unsure, it was all like a game.

"Draco are we going out of school?" Ginny asked curiously,

"Yeah there's this little club halfway between here and Hogsmede, mainly used by the older students because we're the only ones who know about it, quite exclusive really." Ginny smiled, the idea of dancing the night away with Draco was a lovely one.


	8. So this is love?

**Authors Note: **Ok I hope you like this chapter i spent quite a while on it :)  
Thanks to: Yuki Asao for being my latest reviewer!  
Also everyone who i have mentioned previously for favouriting me, putting me on their alerts or reviewing...also everyone who i cant mention but who has read this, you are great thanks for the support! xx love you all...enjoy...  
--

Draco muttered something to the bouncer on the door and he allowed them through without a word. The music was loud, pumping through Ginny's veins as they wove their way through fairly small crowd to the bar. Ginny thought she saw some faces she recognised, older students though and no one she could put a name to. Draco ordered them both a drink and Ginny automatically took her cocktail, though she was far too busy drinking in her surroundings to touch the liquor.

"It suits you." Draco muttered, putting one arm around her waist from behind, where it fitted perfectly and holding her cocktail glass up in the other.

"Huh"

"Oh here we go again with 'huh'. The green in the cocktail makes your hair look even more beautiful, suits you nicely, especially in this light."

"That is the worst attempt at a compliment I have ever heard Draco, try harder dear."

Draco reluctantly let his arm slip from her waist and walked up to the corner of the club where the rock band were switching sets with the jazz band for a while, he said something to a musician who nodded, glanced over at Ginny, and smiled coyly. The lights on the dance floor changed to deep blue and purple.

"If I asked you to dance is that a compliment?" He whispered in her ear, flushing with pleasure as her eyelids drifted gently closed at the sound of his voice. Draco let his hand close around her left one and spun her in a gentle circle. Ginny blushed and let her other arm slip around his neck. The song 'Blue Moon' struck up, the notes delicately drifting in and out of the lover's consciousness.

Ginny sighed peacefully, their bodies were as close as could be, barely moving, pressing flesh on flesh and swaying gently. They moved as one being, joined in an embrace of pure emotion, feeling their hearts beating in time in one another's chest, both feeling their breathing become shallower as they thought daring thoughts. Perfect wasn't enough to describe them. Maybe tainted souls can never be perfect. But the moment was pure and truly their own as they drifted through the evening on a wave of fragile love.

They walked hand in hand back towards Hogwarts, talking little but enjoying each other's company.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" Draco asked. He felt his need for her company strengthen every moment he was with her; she was becoming his life source and replacing the energy that the dark mark sapped from him every moment it was on his skin.

"Of course, where though?"

"We'll go back to the tower in a bit. But do you know what I really fancy right now?"

"No! What?" Ginny giggled playfully,

"A swim in the lake."

"Are you insane Draco Malfoy?" Ginny yelled at him, still laughing,

"Nope. I'm deadly serious Missy, and you're coming in too."

In no time at all the couple had stripped to their underwear and jumped into the freezing lake. Ginny shivered as they splashed around,

"Christ there's a bloody monster down there somewhere and I'm swimming here at midnight. They say love makes you crazy but this is above and beyond." She let out another cry and Draco pulled her under by her feet.

After a while they pushed and shoved each other out of the icy water and made their way rather drunkenly towards their tower, carry their clothes and wearing only dripping underwear. Ginny shut the door and Draco quickly grabbed two towels from the en suite bathroom and threw one to Ginny,

"Now do you know what I feel like doing?"

"No what?" He asked softly,

"And it's not what you're thinking of… honestly men are so horny. Nah, I want to go outside and sit on that roof right now."

"You're joking love?"

"No I'm serious and you're coming too Mr." So in their dripping wet undergarments they stepped cautiously out onto the roof, Ginny grinning at her sudden crazy impulsiveness that came from being around Malfoy. The night air bit their skin but Ginny cuddled to Draco, relishing the feeling of warmth and love, and they drew their towels tighter around themselves.

They stayed until neither could stand the cold any longer, then Draco led Ginny back inside. He sat on the edge of the bed. Draco felt nervousness flutter within him, he knew he wasn't going to sleep with her, and she wouldn't be the first even if he was, but something about being this close to Ginny made him tremble. She sat next to him yawning widely. Gently he put his arms around her and lifted her fully onto the bed, he tucked her in. Desperately Draco yearned for the comfort of someone doing that to him, but as usual his desires were turned inward and he focused on meeting Ginny's needs rather than his own.

Ginny blinked tiredly and smiled warmly up at him and he bent and kissed her forehead tenderly. Her mind felt at rest as he climbed in next to her and their bodies intertwined, it was so comfortable to sleep with her head on his chest, to count his heart beats until she was asleep and to feel his breath on her hair drifting in and out of meaningless dreams. True bliss.

--

It was nearly dawn. Draco felt something wrong instantly. Ginny wasn't lying peacefully beside him. He sat bolt upright and groped in the dark for her hand, it was stone cold.

"Ginny!" He called out to her, trying to keep the panic in his voice to a minimum. But she merely moaned an inaudible response. He felt along her rigid body with his hands, she was shivering and in a cold sweat and her breathing was laboured.

"God no! Ginny talk to me. What is it? Why me? Oh fuck, why me?" Draco let the tears take over and hide the horrible view from his poor tortured eyes.

He picked up his wand and muttered,

"Expecto Patronum. Lumos." Draco's patronus flew from the room, it was going to call Hermione; she would know what to do. And by the light of his wand he saw poor little Ginny, half what she usually was, shivering fitfully and muttering things, in so much pain that it hurt him to watch.

Draco squeezed her hand tightly, gently brushed her tangled, soaking hair out of her face. He repeated her name softly, again and again, wishing it would get through and she would hear him calling and know he was with her.

"Harry." She muttered, "Need…Harry."

"Ginny?!" Draco's voice choked, he dropped her hand and backed away shaking his head. "Why do you need Harry? I'm here Gin, I've got you."

"No Draco…it's just…Voldemort is angry, I think…if I'm right then Harry will feel it too…" Her voice trailed off with pain and guilt wrenched through Draco's heart. He got into the bed next to her and held her tightly.

Through her agony Ginny felt him next to her, she gripped tightly to him even though she knew her nails would hurt his bare skin. He held her in a fierce grip that made the pain more bearable. They clung to each other like drowning lovers just to make it through the next moments.

Hermione and the boys sprinted to the tower, following Draco's patronus though there was no real need. Draco struggled to get up as they entered, his words tumbling in disarray.

"I don't know what happened Mione. I woke up and I knew something wasn't right. I knew but- what can we do? She thinks it's Voldemort. Oh help! God he's taken over her or something." Draco fell to his knees but Hermione rushed straight to her friend, brushing Draco to one side.

"Harry did you feel it?"

"No." Harry shook his head, confused. Ron was already stroking Ginny's hair and Harry approached to place a hand on his shoulder.

Draco looked up suddenly, something happened to Harry when he neared her.

"What was it?" He said quickly and when Harry looked confused, "You tried to hide it, I saw your hand go to your scar. It burnt when you got near her?"

"You're quick." Harry muttered resentfully, passing a casual hand over his forehead, "Yeah it did. I don't know why." Ginny twitched and moaned again and Hermione tightened her grip on her hand. Draco merely sat and looked wretched; it was like watching a horror movie that he couldn't turn off.

Harry moved towards Ginny again, even though he didn't want to, he felt his skin crawl just thinking about touching her. He couldn't help it. He buckled in pain. Hermione threw herself to the floor with Ron, both supporting Harry back into sitting position. Draco sat mesmerised and terrified, he felt now the way he always felt when the Dark Lord entered a room; he was paralysed and puppet-like.

"Ah!" Harry cried out and crawled away from Ginny, " Voldemort's not just angry, he's angry at her. It's like he's projecting his anger at her only. He's in her. But only he's not." He added quickly when the others looked panicky "He's thinking about her and she can't bear it." Harry's insight into the matter shocked Draco enough to get up and begin to pace.

"She said she'd got over this. She told me…She told me she'd found a way to block him out."

"Draco! What's this about? You _knew _he could get to her?" Hermione shrieked at him

"No! Yes. Not exactly…Ok calm down." He moved to sit by Ginny and gently stroked her cold, damp forehead. "This is the whole truth, everything we haven't told you…"

And so he told them everything about him spying, The Key, Voldemort's connection with Ginny, and most importantly their love.

--

They sat by Ginny's side all day, and well into the next night before she finally seemed to be released from her prison of pain. Draco's eyes were itching with tiredness, he longed for some comfort from anyone, and he'd have taken a hug off Ron right now if there was one going. Harry had felt Voldemort's anger only a few hours after Draco had finished telling his story, he had been ill and then slept until mid afternoon. Ron had snatched an hour or two of sleep that evening and Hermione only just woke up as Ginny did. Draco hadn't slept a wink. But instead he had come to know a side of the trio he had never thought existed.

He would openly tell anyone he loathed Harry Potter, but after today, seeing him vulnerable and caring, Draco doubted he would do so with as much conviction again, although he would never allow himself to lose face in Slytherin. He was also not a fan of Ron's but considered him ignorant and pathetic. Now he didn't seem so ignorant as he did wise, nor so pathetic as brave and strong. As for Hermione he loved her dearly and that would never change.

Ginny breathed a sigh as she pulled herself free from Voldemort's grip. She ached all over and was tired beyond belief but she was so happy just to be alive that she didn't care. She jumped up and hugged Hermione, then her brother, then Harry, who winced but found no pain when she touched him and sighed with relief.

A muscle jumped in Draco's jaw as Ginny touched Harry. _It hurts and I don't even know why I'm jealous, _Draco thought miserably. Hermione noticed the change in her twin and casually hinted they should take their leave, until she had to positively drag the boys by hand from the tower room.

"Are you alright Gin?" Draco stood awkwardly by the window, half leaning on the wall, all the lines in his face showed tension, misery and tiredness.

"He can get to me. It's just a matter of time Draco. How the hell do I tell my family? How can anything be alright again?" Draco shook his head and gazed out of the window. He ran his hands through his hair,

"Christ Gin I thought we'd never get you back. It's been nearly twenty four hours." He paused, and upon getting no response from Ginny he continued "Oh and I wanted to ask you about Christmas this year. I can't imagine spending it away from you. Could we maybe go away somewhere together? …Ginny?"

"Draco I just nearly got possessed and you're talking about Christmas. Look, I don't want to bite your head off, but Christmas is about family. I've got to spend it with my family. And I'm sure you and Mione will spend Christmas together now you've found each other again." She paused and bitterness drifted between them. "I'm not going back to the tower now. I'll stay with you here until the holidays and then we'll see."

Draco nodded, he couldn't argue his case right now; all he wanted was sleep. He climbed into bed next to her and fell into a sudden and ragged sleep. Ginny remained awake for a while, just to listening to him breathing. _Why are things never simple? _

**References: **

Blue Moon playing for the lovers first dance: From Grease, i can play the song on clarinet and i love the idea of using it from Grease so i stole it lol!

Holding green cocktail to hair and complimenting: From I Capture The Castle, Neil does this to Rose..i love it!

Read on for...What is Draco's patronus? ideas...let me know :)...how is Voldemort so close to Ginny?


	9. An unexpected departure

**Authors Note:** Not much to say except: happy 2008! sorry this has been a long time in the making, i just got bogged down with stuff"! Huge thanks to everyone still supporting me...whether by reviews, alerts, faveys or just by reading it, this means a lot and i love you all!! enjoy...

--

The hours of that night spun into daylight and Ginny had left Draco's room before he had even stirred. On her way out she placed a tender kiss on his forehead, but Draco wasn't to know this. The day swept suddenly into the next night, more days, weeks and soon December made its icy presence felt. Still Ginny didn't leave Draco's room. In fairness she hardly spent any time there, they never kissed and barely talked; but at least they were holding on.

Ginny was walking up to the room late one night on the first week of December. She heard footsteps behind her, then someone called her name; she smiled and waited for Harry.

"Can I walk you home?" He joked,

"Home? Hardly…" She gave him a playful punch on the arm and they walked for a way in silence.

"Ginny love?"

"Mhm"

"Will you come to a party with me next week, Wednesday night, Hogsmede?"

"Oh…I…" Ginny blushed slightly and was thankful for the cover of darkness, "Harry what about Cho? Wont she mind?"

"Nah she's behind on work and said she can't come, so I thought you might like to? If Draco doesn't mind you having a night off?"

"I night off from what?" Ginny snorted "Sure I'd love to come! Where shall we meet?"

"Entrance hall. 9 o'clock." Harry paused, judging how best to pose his question, "Why are you still with Draco? Living with him and stuff?"

"Because…I think I'm in love with him. We have our good times even if they are few and far between at the minute. He's not around a lot though, I mean, he's got to keep spying for Dumbledore. But even if he wasn't spying I doubt he could get out now if he wanted to."

"I don't know Gin, it's noble of you to stay with him, and I can see sometimes you're happier there than anywhere else. I just feel like you're condemning yourself that's all."

"I know what you mean." She said dryly. Harry couldn't understand; her reasons for not leaving Malfoy were completely beyond him. So he placed an arm gently around her waist and they walked slowly towards the tower.

--

Draco choked back the fury that was threatening to over come him; he hated seeing Ginny being touched by anyone else. Especially Harry.

"I'm home."

"I noticed."

"What's up Draco?" He watched her remove her robes and tie as she turned to face him,

"You and Harry."

"And?"

"What is going on? Why is he all over you?"

"He isn't Draco. You're being paranoid. You know there is nothing there."

"I'm not convinced Gin, don't see him, please!" He noticed the begging tone in his own voice and turned away, "Don't play me. Don't see other guys Ginny. I can't bare not being able to trust you."

"_You _can't trust me!" She squealed shrilly, "What about me Malfoy? You're a Death-Eater and I'm managing to trust you. And if I'm wrong a lot more than our relationship is on the line, so get a little perspective will you? For gods sake! Harry and I are friends. Can you deal with that? I'm not playing you." She waited and when he said nothing, "And for what it's worth…I love you."

Draco turned around, retort at the ready, but before he could do anything else Ginny was kissing him like she never had before. Pushed back against the cold, hard wall Draco felt the heat of his body contrast shockingly. Her hands were either side of his face, her lips full of fire and passion every time they locked on his. Draco's hands trembled as they slotted around her waist, caressing up and down her sides.

Ginny finally managed to stop kissing him, to dampen the furnace raging through her body, calm her jittery emotions. _I love him, I love him, I love him…_She couldn't stop thinking it; the feeling consumed her.

Draco took a deep breath and closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers and rubbing her back. It took them nearly half an hour before they could think about letting go of each other. Draco undressed Ginny to her underwear and Ginny the same for Draco. It was a surprisingly un-sexual act for them; it was more of a caring goodnight then a desire to ravage one another.

As Ginny slept Draco stroked her hair. The things she had said to him, about trust and love, he'd never been taught about that before. That something could be unconditional was new to him. In the service of the Dark Lord everything had a price or a favour and connections were upheld by lethal bonds. The idea that someone loved him without reason or price was a scary thought. He didn't know love, he knew not how to trust; his life had been devoid of these simple things since his twin had been cruelly ripped from him. Having them pushed into his life now complicated matters immensely. His father often said

To love another is to give one something to loose. To take ones eye from the goal. To weaken ones connections. To make the price for defeat a deadly enemy.

--

After six days of similar arguments followed by passionate make-ups Ginny was feeling fragile to say the least. She opened the door with trembling fingers, expecting an angry Malfoy to ask her why she was late. But the room was eerily silent.

Ginny tried to silence her pounding heart as she took in the chaotic room. Books were everywhere, papers shredded, sheets torn and deep gouges and burn marks covered the walls and floor. There had been a struggle and Draco was gone. She took a deep breath before turning to run from the tower.

"Reparo!" she cast over her shoulder as an after thought but didn't bother stopping to see the room rearrange itself.

Heart pounding in her ears Ginny thundered in the direction of the main block. She bent over feeling the stitch rip through her sides but continued to run till she hit square into Harry.

"Ginny what is it?" He caught her by the shoulders, looking concerned

"Draco…gone! I don't know what happened but the room was messed up. There's been a fight."

"Ginny look behind you and don't scream." Harry pointed and Ginny swirled on the spot only to see a group of men in black cloaks with a bundle struggling between them.

"Draco!!!" she wasn't aware what she screamed as she ran, pelting towards the men, drawing her wand but with no spell in mind. Helpless, she screamed his name as they took off from the ground, fired off a million spells to no avail. Harry caught up with her, firing a few well-aimed disarming charms only to deflect the more dangerous curses the Death Eaters were shooting at Ginny. He threw himself flat on top of her as _Avada Kedavra _whizzed over their heads from several wands. Ginny struggled, screaming, to free herself and her wand from Harry's protecting grip.

--

Draco felt actual, physical pain wrench his heart with every scream he heard. But the last was more terrible than the others. Using all his strength not to cry out for her he looked down to Ginny. She was bent double, Harry holding her up, screaming with physical pain that had nothing to do with Draco's unexpected departure, she was collapsing, in slow motion in Draco's mind, and fear caught his heart in a vice-like grip as Harry's hands loosened from her shoulders and he too fell under the pain of his scar. Draco wasn't aware of the terror in his voice and he fought harder and harder; just to get to her and tell her it was ok. But his wand was gone, he was overpowered and the dot that was his only love faded fast as the convoy disappeared towards the Dark Lord's mansion; now Draco felt the threat of Lord Voldemort drawing closer even as they flew, it was within him.

--

Ginny felt Voldemort's wrath ripping at her heart again. It was agony. She tried and tried to pull away from the pain, to continue her fruitless attempts at helping Draco. But he was fading. Into the horizon, fading, along with her last hopes of fighting this horror. Voldemort's fury began to leech further through her mind and body. Ginny called for Harry but became dimly aware that he too must have felt Voldemort. She felt herself being to fall…. fall…. fall


	10. Secret spilling and Love making!

**Author's Note: **Ok so this chapter will leave a few unanswered questions which i may go through at the end just to clarify i did mean to leave you hanging a little bit:) Hope you enjoy it. It is a little explicit if you are any way offended by or sensitive to sex scenes please dont read this, i dont think it is too graphic though so you should be ok!  
Huge thanks to all the people who have favourited, alerted, review or even just supported me by reading this! I couldnt do it without you guys! I love you all, please review again and tell me what you think!! x

--

_I know you Ginny. You wont resist forever; you will return. I have your heart like that stupid boy never could, you will never belong to Potter; you are mine._

--

When Ginny woke she smiled, feeling the warmth of the bed around her, she turned gently over and reached for Draco's hand. He wasn't there. Panic coursed through her body making her head throb painfully. She looked around and screamed wildly. What was she doing home? How much time had passed since…since…. what had happened to get her here? And where was Draco?

"Ginny! Ssshhh Ginny I'm here, what's wrong?" Charlie's concerned voice echoed round Ginny's soggy brain as he moved into focus in her small bedroom.

"Charlie what are you doing here? What happened to me? Why am I at home?"

"Hey slow down sweetie." He knelt down and placed a caring hand on her arm. "I'm here for Christmas. It's the 23rd of December and Harry and Hermione are staying for the holidays too. You passed out at school; Harry said you were just out for a walk and he collapsed because of You Know Who again. He reckons the shock of it must have made you faint but you've been unconscious for weeks; we were really worried. Oh Bill is home too." Ginny nodded slowly trying to remember what had really happened, Charlie's tone of voice told her that he thought Harry was lying, so how had she really got here?

It came flooding back in an instant; the capture, her collapse and the dreams she had had. The tears wouldn't stop once they'd started and Ginny knew she couldn't hide them. Charlie was her best friend at home.

"Charlie thank god you're here." He embraced her tightly

"Hey, ssshhh, Gin. Tell me everything."

--

Draco paced the darkened hall for what felt like the millionth time since he'd been discharged from the Death Eater's meeting. It seemed bizarre to him that they had to capture him to get him there and yet they let him go in time for the Christmas holidays after giving him his homework. He let out a harsh laugh at the twisted metaphor he had formed. He had been told to protect Ginny, 'woo' her if he must, until the Dark Lord was ready for her. It made him sick to think of what use he was being put to, a pathetic useless puppet, but his fear was that he was disposable. He needed to stay alive and that meant doing as he was told.

Draco's mind was in turmoil and had been for weeks now and still he couldn't figure out one simple thing. Yet it was so important. The conversation with his father still echoed in and out of his every waking moment.

"Why didn't you come when you were summoned? You have tarnished our family's reputation and in refusing summons you know the mark will be burned thicker as punishment. Fool!"

"_Father listen! I didn't feel them. I didn't feel the summons. I was-"_

"_LIES! Filthy lies…how can you not have felt it? You are a fool!" _

But that was just it; Draco knew he wasn't lying. He hadn't felt them call him, but he had no idea why. _God my head hurts. I need Ginny…oh Ginny! _He was trapped again in his old family home; it was worse than prison. The only comfort was that in three days time he would bring Hermione back to meet their mother, while Lucius was away playing the diplomat with Cornelius Fudge for a few days. Draco was looking forward to this rare moment of freedom in his family home, to bring them all together again would be wonderful; Narcissa was already excited for meeting Hermione, but neither she nor Draco had told his father. Draco knew Lucius hit his mum.

--

Ginny could tell Charlie everything. And Charlie understood perfectly.

"I know what it's like to be in love with someone you can't be with. Only in a different way to you and Malfoy." Ginny sat up at this. _Charlie? In love? Why has he never told me before?_

"Charlie what-?"

"The girl I love died Ginny. That's why I left; I never could stay here after she was gone. It's a long story but I've never told it, I guess I should. You're too young to remember anyway." He paused and gave her a searching look, and on deciding she was more than capable of understanding he carried on. "I was young and she was a Muggle. We fell in love, not just a crush, real love, Gin. But she found out too much about our world, got too close. Dad said she was in danger and we had to hide her. I tried to leave things alone with her, but she couldn't go back now so what was the point in trying to forget we loved each other. I tried and tried to explain, I swear I did, but she didn't understand why. She couldn't grasp it was vital she couldn't go home to her parents. She was a prisoner here and I hated myself for it, although we still loved each other dearly. Then Dad was brought under questioning, we don't know who grassed us in but it was only a matter of time, dad is so pro-Muggle anyway. We were terrified and tried to hide her. But there was no stopping them and the statue of secrecy is upheld by deadly bonds. They have no mercy; the ones that carry out its law, no compassion. They put her to death. Executed. And that was my life gone."

Charlie let a single tear run down his face. He didn't brush it away like many boys instead he let it fall, to show Ginny how much it meant. And to remember the woman he would always love, difficult as it was, every tear that fell for her was a tribute to her memory; and so he could never show impatience with his emotion.

"What was her name?" Ginny breathed softly, forgetting her own plight in the magnitude of her brother's.

"Isabelle." He sighed, "My darling Izzy."

For the next day or so Ginny took comfort in the fact the Charlie had known love like she did. She kept mainly to her room and only really spoke to Charlie or occasionally the trio who popped up to see her. But they talked of Draco and this made Ginny cry until in the end they would sit in silence. In fact it wasn't only Charlie who knew what Ginny was going through; she had no idea that she was actually in very congenially company in the household, only that none of the Weasleys ever bothered finding out facts about one another, they argued too much.

Bill had been in love with Fleur in difficult circumstances, until their mother had changed her tune when Bill was attacked by Greyback. Fred loved Angelina but she was officially with Oliver Wood. Unfortunately for all, Fred and Angelina were involved in more than just a running flirtation, it tore at him every time they kissed but somehow couldn't be enough for him to let her go. George in turn loved a girl in Slytherin who loved him back. No one knew, but Percy had fallen for a Muggle girl and Ron was also struggling with the concept of telling his mother he loved Hermione; especially now that she was a Malfoy. The Weasley children were all in predicaments of varying sizes but Ginny would never know the problems of her other brothers. Because what she hated worst of all about being prisoner here again was that everyone had problems and took it out on each other, but no one ever talked.

It was going to drive her mad she was sure.

--

Draco felt the gaping whole that was Ginny eating away at him in the same way the Dark Mark had once consumed him. He never felt like it was taking him any more, not since he had loved Ginny. _It never hurts me when…_And then it clicked. So obvious he had been stupid or blind not to see it. He hadn't felt the summons because he had been thinking of Ginny. Ginny was his protection.

Draco laughed aloud; the first laugh that had passed his lips since he had returned to the dreary manor. He knew he could not sleep tonight on his own, not Christmas eve. He needed to be with the woman he loved.

Draco waited impatiently for nightfall. He knew better than to walk straight up to the Weasley's front door and ask to borrow Ginny for the night. He arrived by broom just before sundown and circled her house silently. Looking for the most likely window.

At the back of the house on the ground floor Draco caught a glimpse of a stunning older girl with long silver-blonde hair drawing the curtains shut. _That must be where Bill and Fleur are sleeping. _He thought to himself. He knew Ron's room was at the very top of the house so he went to see if Ginny was sharing to make room for Hermione. But when he peered into the cramped, untidy attic bedroom he saw only one figure, leaning over a piece of parchment and scribbling feverishly. It was Harry. Draco's dislike for Potter swelled up within him, but it was much less now than it had once been. In the window directly below Harry's Draco found the answer to Ron's whereabouts. He was lying on a bed with Hermione in his arms, talking to her and stroking her hair. A surge of protective hatred rose in Draco's throat like a snake and he had to fly to the next window quickly; he knew Hermione was safe with Ron, but the idea of them being that intimate sat strangely in Draco's mind.

This window was Ginny's. He sensed her before he saw her and when he finally did lay eyes on her the strong light that radiated was almost so strong he had to glance away. He knocked on her bedroom window gently so as not to startle her.

--

Ginny spun round in shock snatching her wand from her bedside in lightening quick time, expecting to see Voldemort or at least a small army of his hooded workers hovering outside her window. But she dropped her wand in an instant.

She wrench open the window and leaned out, nearly falling and breaking her neck but she didn't care. She kissed Draco roughly, passionately on the lips and sighed deeply at her inexplicable feeling of completion.

"Lets get out of here." Draco whispered to her,

"Where Draco?" She laughed, unable to stop the flow of happiness,

"I know a place, it's not much but anywhere will do. Come on get up with me." Ginny shoved her feet into a pair of comfortable trainers, grabbed her coat from the hook by the door and picked up her wand. As she stepped out of her window onto the broom she glanced back to the room,

"Don't worry they're all busy, no one saw me. I'll have you back before morning. I promise." He whispered softly into her hair.

They soared up and left any troubles down on the ground by the burrow. Flying straight at the sunset, the wind roaring past them and both laughing with a growing sense of liberation. This was love, Ginny decided in an instant, nothing else but pure, true love.

"Oh my god! Draco I've just realised."

"What?" He shouted back over the rush of the wind,

"Everyone underneath me can see my knickers." Ginny squealed,

"What Gin? What did you just say?"

"I said 'everyone down there can see my KNICKERS.'" She roared back,

"Ginnerva Weasley they are _Muggles. _If they see a broom flying past them I doubt they are going to care about the view of your underwear." He paused and then added, "Although I would care, I'm sure it's a very nice view!"

"_Draco!_"

They eventually pulled up outside of a window of a pub in Hogsmede. Ginny didn't recognise it but obligingly stepped into the room in front of her and waited for Draco. He clicked his fingers and candles suddenly threw the room into a delicate relief. A double bed was opposite the window, plumped with a thick duvet and too many cushions, a door stood ajar leading to what Ginny presumed was the en suit bathroom. There was also a chest of drawers, a wardrobe and a comfy chair; other than that the room was bare.

"Draco why are we here?"

"Malfoy Manor is dreary Gin. I just booked this room for the night, no one will know we're here no one will disturb us. It can just be you and me. It's not a brilliant place but it will do for us."

"It's perfect Draco. But-"

She turned away and sat down on the edge of the bed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she turned around again Draco hadn't moved.

"But I need you to…Draco say you want me now. Say it and I'm yours. Say you need me. _Please_! God I need you. But if you don't say it wont feel like…real. I've never wanted someone this much, and I wont stop myself if you say you _need _me…" Ginny trailed off and turned to meet Draco's eyes with that blazing look that was so familiar.

"I do. I want you right now. Ginny this isn't a flirt, it's not a game; I want you. I want to lie with you now and touch you and…oh fuck it. Come here."

Draco pulled off his shirt and threw it aside; moving to stand directly over her and brushing her hair back from her face. He pushed her down to the bed. Kissed her once on the mouth and then knelt onto the bed with her, letting his moist lips trace her neck so lightly they might not have been there, his left hand caught in her hair, ruffling it wildly; the way he liked it most. Ginny felt something strange and new rise within her; unable to control it she let the feeling take her body over.

Her nails ran down his back, hands fumbling as the reached the waist of his trousers. Draco pulled the aforementioned knickers down easily with one hand, letting an almost-growl pass his lips. She managed to remove his trousers and pants in record time, feeling the fire in her veins and her heart pump faster at the smell of his sweat. She kissed along his shoulders and up to his neck, suddenly stopping and biting him for no apparent reason. She wondered if there was a touch of the Werewolf about her.

Draco groaned loudly when she bit him. It didn't matter than blood was running down his neck like sweat it just mattered that he felt a stronger passion now than he had ever experienced in his life. The thumb of the hand in her hair caressed her cheek gently, telling her not to be scared and the other one now pulled up her nightdress as he began to press his body closer.

Ginny felt Draco's hand move to her thigh, opening her legs wider and holding her still, his grip so fierce it bruised. He teased her for as long as he could bear, listening to her moans with relish, until she growled

"Don't you _dare _stop!" and he could resist no longer.

Two bodies joined to become one.

--

Malfoy woke himself up reluctantly. He leaned over Ginny and kissed her cheek gently to wake her up and then began to gently nibble her ear. He heard a yawn and then a playful giggle. Ginny was truly beautiful, Draco thought peacefully, the early dawn light making her hair reddy-golden as she shook it off her face, sitting up, completely naked and searching the room for her scattered clothes. He groaned and lay back down for a minute, steeling himself to go out into the cold air.

The broom ride passed quickly and Draco was dropping Ginny at her window all too soon.

"Bye Darling, I'll see you…well, I'll see you soon." He buried his face in her sweet smelling hair, as he felt her lips on his neck. "God Ginny I love you."

"…So much." She finished for him, "Hey Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Do you realise how like Romeo and Juliet this is?"

"Like who?"

"Romeo and Jul- Oh! Of course it's a Muggle story you wont have read it."

She dashed over to her bookshelf and pulled down a red leather bound book from the highest shelf. "Here you go, read it. I know you like books. Charlie always read this to me as a kid, it's beautiful."

"Gin, if it's a Muggle how come you got it read to you?"

"I don't know I guess…how did Charlie get it? …Oh hang on…" She opened the cover and found a name pencilled on the inside. "Yeah, I thought so. Charlie got it from his old girlfriend. She was a Muggle."

Ginny smiled sweetly and Draco asked no more. They said goodbye and he flew off into the rising sun. Ginny felt sad as she thought about the name one cover; the book, of course, had belonged to Isabelle.

**From me: Ok so what was Ginny's dream about at the beginning? Who was Harry writing to so urgently? What is really happening with all the Weasley's private love stories? Why can Draco not feel the mark burning when he's with Gin?...please review, all will be revealed :D x**


	11. Time for the truth?

**Authors Note: **Sorry if this is confusing, bear with me the truth is coming...please review and thankyou for your unwavering support i am so thankful to you all. I have stopped adding a list of my reviewers and story alerts but all of you will be acknowledged come the end of this story...enjoy...

--

Christmas was strange for Ginny; all carried out in a surreal blur. She rose at about 9 O'clock on Christmas morning to find a tousled but happy looking Hermione closing the bedroom door behind a bewildered Ron; a coy smile resting on her face. Over Ron's shoulder the girls exchanged a knowing glance, which managed to communicate _oh-my-god-can-you-believe-what-we-just-did-we'll-have-to-talk-later-it-was-fantastic-I-hope-you're-not-cross-oh-dear-we-slept-with-each-other's-brothers-whoops-how-are-we-going-to-keep-a-straight-face-today _all in the space of a second.

Fleur and Mrs Weasley had become the new double act and were the stars of Christmas, Fred and George being rather subdued for some unknown reason. Everyone seemed to be reserved in their own thoughts and Ginny was no exception, longing for the confinement and peace of Draco's secret quarters at Hogwarts. They opened presents and ate dinner and Ginny didn't go to bed very late. She never had her talk with Hermione that day, or even the next because the house was invaded with yet more of the Weasley clan, and then the day after that Hermione disappeared to visit on Narcissa and Draco and Ginny was left alone.

--

Ginny could barely keep herself composed as the Weasley children and guests trouped up Hogwarts drive on the first day of term. She was sad about leaving Charlie but excited at the same time, wondering if her relationship with Draco would have changed at all. _I wonder if we'll sleep together often now we've done it once. Or maybe we wont at all…_George disappeared into the crowd of students in the grounds and Fred stood still, glancing around for someone. Eventually Ginny saw his eyes light up as they found Angelina (who Ginny knew to be his best friend) and walk shyly towards her. Ron and Hermione were now happily an official couple, walking along with arms round each other as though they were married. It filled Ginny with uncertainty, because her and Draco never did that, and probably never would. At the entrance hall Ginny was ready to break off and go up to Draco's secret room.

"I'm off guys."

"Oh Gin…" Hermione wanted to try and persuade her to come up to the common room but she knew it was useless. Instead she just hugged her tightly and watched concernedly as the younger girl practically skipped off to be with her brother. It was an odd feeling but Hermione supposed it must be just as weird for Ginny seeing her with Ron.

"Oh Mione, I'll be at the party tonight!" Ginny threw the phrase over her shoulder and Hermione smiled,

"You'd better be, biatch." Feeling a lot happier about the whole thing Hermione walked on with Ron and Harry.

Ginny unpacked some of her things and scattered them aimlessly around the room, wanting to leave an impression, to feel as though she belonged here. She didn't unpack any clothes or books, or anything of use. For the previous term she had practically lived out of her trunk and she didn't mind it too much. But the one picture of her and Draco went on the desk amongst his writing things, her bathrobe hung next to the shower; her broom leant by the door. Simple, stupid, little things that made Ginny feel like she really lived in the room; it worked most of the time.

--

_Draco opened the door and saw Ginny. She really was the most beautiful girl in the world. She smiled and ran to him, letting out a sigh of love as she leapt into his arms. Everything was going to be perfect; she could tell by his eyes, by his smile._

--

Draco was calm; a resolution stronger than any pain or drug had swept through him and he could see the end. He pictured Ginny's face and pushed away the agony. He changed the cold stonewall to a goose feather pillow; he turned the blood on his lips into her mouth, he turned the pain to love. It had to be this way or he wouldn't make it. The end of everything was in sight; he needed to carry out the plan. _So close, so close to absolute bliss…just hold on! _

--

The room was cold when Ginny woke from her dream. She inwardly kicked herself for her childish fantasy; Draco's things weren't here nor was he. He hadn't returned to Hogwarts at all.

As she was getting ready for the party Ginny kept trying to fill the gap that was Draco. She sang loudly as she brushed out her hair exactly the way he liked it, applied lipstick and lined her eyes. She pulled on her slightly too tight, sky-blue halter-neck top and her stone washed jeans. Not bother to pick up a cardigan she pushed her feet into some white flats and left the room to walk up to the castle.

The party was in Griffindor common room, and mostly filled with their house, although it wasn't exclusive. It was stuffy and the alcohol was slightly warm but Ginny soon found herself with Parvati and Padma (Hermione was attached to her brother) who were flirting nineteen to the dozen with Seamus and Dean. Not caring much for the talk that was floating back and forth between the couples Ginny moved on not long later, drifting towards Harry and Cho.

Four hours and several beers later Ginny was feeling terrible. What she really needed was a good long cry, and maybe some hard work to take her mind off things. _Who am I kidding? What I really need is Draco. I wonder how long I'll last before Tom gets into my mind again._ She wondered aimlessly through the throng of drunken boys and flirting girls wanting to find a little room she could go in to be on her own, and sort out her battered mind. Ginny carefully pulled aside a tapestry, which she knew had a hidden room behind it, and pushed open the heavy wooden door. Ginny's jaw nearly dropped off at what she saw before her.

--

Fred and Angelina were intertwined on the sofa, arms round each other, lips on lips, so caught up in a passionate embrace that Ginny felt sinful just witnessing it; she could only imagine how they felt.

The lovers broke apart hurriedly. Angelina jumped up, horror shooting through every line in her face, Fred just stayed dumbstruck on the sofa, looking oddly dazed. Slowly Angelina shook her head. But it was too late. The damage had been done. Ginny knew without looking that she'd left the door and tapestry wide open and she also knew that the whole common room had fallen very silent. Oliver wood stood central to the door, his jaw hanging in a strangely detached manner, his hand raised in an almost comical fashion and his glass smashed at his feet. Very slowly Angelina started walking towards the door, and her boyfriend, tears welling in her eyes. Fred reached out a hand, tried to catch her arm, but she brushed him away and he stumbled forward like a blind man for a moment and then looked Ginny directly in the eye. She felt awful, she felt sick.

--

Ginny was walking alone through the grounds much later, her mind still spinning in a shock and horror cocktail, when she heard the footsteps running behind her. _Why is my life just one constant drama, can't I just for five minutes have a normal stress free adolescence? _

"Ginny!" Hermione called her name and she turned around reluctantly, noting that her silent prayers had not been answered.

"I just collapsed." Harry said in a matter of fact tone of voice, "And I saw you."

"Huh?" Ginny replied, trying to get her brain in gear as fast as they were walking,

"When I collapse I sometimes get visions of people I care for being hurt. And I saw you."

"So? You knew I was here. I mean that's sweet you care for me and everything but-"

"That's not the point Gin." Hermione interjected as they reached the tower and began to climb the stairs. "The point is last time Harry saw someone being tortured it was a trap and…" She glanced nervously at Harry "So when Voldemort put a picture of you being tortured in Harry's head he must have thought Harry cared about you enough to come running straight away."

"And was also relying on Harry having zero common sense." Ron put in,

"Thankfully he underestimated me. Gin why is he using you to get me? Do you know anything? Why not Cho? Only he doesn't know about her I don't think…"

Ginny turned on the lights in Malfoy's room, hoping the others didn't see her pitiful attempts to make it home. She realised now that Harry looked peaky and drawn and that his t-shirt had drying sweat patches on it; so the visions took their toll on him too.

"Ginny can you think of any reason Voldemort is using you to get to Harry?" Hermione persisted,

"I used to like you Harry. That could be it, and Voldemort hasn't noticed my affections change. But now you mention it…Oh my god! I've just remembered my dream." The others looked curious and Harry came right up to her giving her a searching look, "When I was asleep for ages after Voldemort got into my head, he talked to me. Like he used to when I was possessed. He said to me-" She hesitated could she tell them the truth? _Even if I do…how do I begin to explain? And will they believe me anyway? _


	12. Betray you?

**Author's note: **A bit long winded, bear with me and try to stick with it; the action will pick up again:) please keep reviewing and supporting i'm so grateful for it! x

--

"When I first noticed the diary in my cauldron I was quite happy. I had been feeling nervous about Hogwarts, and quite lonely, it was a real coincidence that I'd just come to the end of the notebook I was writing my diary in at home. I started writing and in my writing I was wishing for a handsome prince to come and look after me. I imagined I was writing to him, I addressed my entries _Dear Prince. _It's sad and quite creepy when I look back on it but it made me happy. In my head this lovely boy's voice started answering, I was making it up I knew, but he began to take shape in my dreams and day dreams and before I knew it I had formed Tom Riddle's image in my head. It was the diary really but I thought he was coming from my imagination. Then the diary began replying, he told me he was my prince and that he loved me but that he was trapped in a time he didn't belong. So I got really excited. I could be the heroine of my story, rescue him, bring him here, love him and that would be my happy ending. But it got scary, he took me to him but he wasn't who I thought he was. Tom was doing really evil stuff so I stopped writing to him. Then when I did start writing again he took me back to see him, he apologised, cried and said that he loved me more than anything, that I was the only girl he had ever loved. And I loved him back. He told me about his past and told me that he needed me to do things for him. Like kill the chickens so he could let the Basilisk out. I said it was evil but he told me that the monster was to kill the people who would condemn our love, because Slytherins and Griffindors aren't meant to love. So I did. But then I got scared again, he had to force me to do things: possess me. But still I loved part of him that I knew existed somewhere behind the eyes, my handsome prince was still there, and I couldn't help think that I'd do anything for us to be together. Then I realised he was taking my energy to become alive, Hermione was petrified, it all happened so fast I barely remember. He took me to your birth, Harry, only he didn't tell me it was you, Tom said it was more condemners of our love. I watched him kill your parents then get torn apart by you, and I hated that little baby for destroying my love. He said that it was his future, and I remember crying and crying because I wanted to love Tom forever. I said I would do anything to help him and he said one day he would get through to my time and he would take me with him to help destroy the baby, he told me I was the only one who could do it because I was powerful. Then he told me the baby was you, and I was devastated, because I loved you both, at the time, and he was furious when I told him. He convinced me it was no more than a crush, that everything that would be all right if he and I were together; that you were nothing to me. Then he took me to the chamber and told me he was Lord Voldemort. It broke me. That was what made me weak enough for him to finally start manipulating my energy and become alive. It's haunted me ever since, the fact that I loved Lord Voldemort hurts me every day, only I didn't love him, I loved Tom. They are different people. Or they were, whether they are now I don't know. Then at Christmas in my dream Riddle said something to me. He said: 'I know you Ginny. You wont resist forever; you will return. I have your heart like that stupid boy never could, you will never belong to Potter; you are mine'. So he's still jealous of you Harry. Because he thinks we're in love, that's why you see me, that's why he thinks he can use you to get me back. I don't think it's you he wants any more, in a roundabout way, he does want you, but we wants to kill baby you, like we promised we would."

There was a deadly silence in which Ron's jaw dropped, Hermione turned very pale and Harry buried his head in his hands.

"Gin, how did you ever keep that a secret. It's just…" Hermione had no words for what it was. _Wrong, sick, twisted, scary _only she couldn't bring herself to say them when Ginny had just poured her heart and soul to them.

"I don't know Mione. But that's the truth. All of it."

"God Ginny. You do know we're going to kill him at some point, don't you?"

"I know. I'll be ready when we do. As long as I have Draco my love for Tom is fading, I'll be fine when the time comes."

--

Draco's heart ached as he returned to Hogwarts. His brief spell of punishment was over, he had known he would get it for not hearing the call of the mark, and now he had to return to Ginny and tell her the plan. _She's not going to like it. But, hell, what else can we do?I know it's a long shot but she's going to have to understand. _

He walked towards the tower, hoping and praying that she hadn't given up on him and left; that would be terrible. But it was ok. As he opened the door Draco could smell Ginny's smell in the room, he saw her broom propped by the door and then he saw her. Sat at his desk doing her homework, a little frown in place, her hair held out of the way in a messy bun and her hand flying quickly across the parchment in front of her. He sighed.

"Ginny, darling."

"Draco!" He squeal of joy was beautiful music, her laughter floating towards him on a wave of happiness. As she leapt into his arms he felt relief flood him. _I need Ginny. _

"Oh Ginny. I'm never going to let you go baby, never, ever; I need you. I need you. Oh Ginny." He whispered into her hair. Her grip was fierce around him, loving him and telling him it was ok.

Then they were kissing, finally, passionate yet delicate, gently caressing each other's mouths. It was bliss. Draco removed Ginny's tie and unbuttoned her shirt lovingly, stroking her arms as he pulled it off. He kissed her neck, her face, her hair, her chest; any piece of beautifully smooth skin he could reach. She pulled off his t-shirt and kissed his bare chest. Gently Draco pulled down her skirt, guiding her towards the bed as she stepped out of it.

Ginny sat down, wrapping her legs around his and began to undo his trousers, dropping them to the floor but leaving her hands on his thighs. Draco felt himself shaking, trembling as he caught his fingers in her hair and kissed her even more gently still. They lay down, him on top, still kissing but pushing their hips together slowly at first then with more force. Getting ready. He slipped a hand around her back and undid her bra, slowly removing it and then cupping both breasts with his hands. They felt warm and smooth, natural underneath his palms. He kissed them softly.

"Draco." She half whispered, half moaned. That was his cue. Her lacy pants came down with one hand, his were off in seconds, though her hands still fumbled a little.

Draco placed a hand on each firm thigh, spreading her legs wider, he kissed up her body, every inch until he reach her neck. He didn't have the restraint to tease her this time because he wanted her too badly and he'd waited too long. He stopped just for a second to look into her eyes and place a tender loving kiss on her lips and then two bodies began to acquire one another again; visitors to each others senses.

--

This time wasn't as rushed, as violent or as painful, Ginny noticed. It was more sensual, more loving; they explored each other more deeply. It was beautiful. And when she fell asleep on Draco's chest that night she wished and wished that she would never wake.

For the next week Ginny went about her lessons as usual, nothing different happened and she didn't make love to Draco again. Though, of course, every night they slept side by side and every morning they showered together. She thought they might even have the beginnings of a normal relationship, although she knew this was a trick she was playing on herself. _There'll be something, I know, he's going to tell me what we need to do and I'm not going to like it. _

Ginny's prediction caught up with her sooner than she would have liked. She was sat chatting to Hermione and Cho in the Griffindor common room, Harry was playing snap with Ron not too far off. Ginny didn't at first notice Draco come into the common room; he was trying to keep a low profile, dubious of the likelihood of him getting a welcome here. Ginny was so intent on telling the girls about her argument with Snape that she only saw Malfoy when he placed a hand round her waist and a kiss on her cheek.

"Hi Draco. What brings you to our neck of the woods?"

"Got something to tell you love." He cast a nervous glance at Harry who nodded.

They all sat together, Cho was included in the discussion, and Draco told his story of his punishment for not feeling the mark. He explained why he hadn't felt it too. And Ginny repeated to him what she had told the trio about her and Voldemort.

"Well, this is it then. I've got a plan to stop this. Because it's obvious he needs Ginny for the Key and we can't let him have her. What I discovered while being held captive was that Voldemort doesn't actually know if Ginny is the Key yet, he's just guessing. That was something my father didn't even know." Draco felt a small rush of satisfaction at this "He's not quite ready to carry out the plan yet so my bet's on him taking Ginny captive, testing her to see if she's the Key and then releasing her or letting her escape until he needs her. He'd probably let her try and escape because he likes to play with people he's going to kill."

"So what can we do? If I don't let myself get captured people will get hurt and I don't want that. But when he finds out I'm the Key I'll die wont I?" She looked between Harry and Draco hoping one of them might have the answer. Draco did:

"Notexactly. He'll…he'll destroy you Gin. The Dark Lord will be ripping a hole in the fabric of time, or reality, or whatever and he'll be filling it up with your soul."

"But what are we going to do?"

"Put him off the scent of course!" Hermione interjected, surprising everyone, as usual, with capability for insight. "We need to get you safely in and out of the Dark Lord's Manor. Once you're in, or before, you need to switch identities with someone so that when he tests you it appears as though you're not compatible with his plans."

"Who though?" Draco exchanged a grimace with Harry and Ron threw him a 'just do it' look. Ginny noticed the boys drawing together as allies, if not friends, in this time of emergency

"I think you should switch with me. It would be safest, I'll be able to get in the Manor with you."

"No way!" Ginny shouted back at Draco.

"Ginny listen-"

"NO! I wont listen Draco. I can't put you in danger. I just can't!"

"What's the alternative Gin? Who here would you rather put in danger?" Draco replied harshly and Ginny knew it was the truth. She looked around at her friends and knew she could never ask one of them to go in his place. _It has to be this way._ "That's final, Gin." He added, more gently.

"We need a plan then." Ron said quickly, trying to cover up the terrified silence that had trapped the group,

"How am I going to get in?"

"The Dark Lord has asked me to trick you and lead you to him, he's not rushed at the minute so we have some time to figure out the when's and where's. We'll get inside and have to be prepared for some wait, I don't know how long he'll keep you before testing."

"We need a way to communicate." Harry cut in, "So once you're inside we know what's happening. We need to know when it's safe to spring a rescue and we need a fast get away in case something goes wrong."

"We'll use the DA coins." Cho spoke for the first time, "Everyone will have a DA coin and we'll communicate a rescue like that. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I will be waiting not far from the manor ready to get you away as fast as we can."

"Cho it's not that I'm trying to stop you from fighting…well I don't _want _you to fight." Harry corrected himself "But we need someone to be at Hogwarts in case Voldemort retaliates. You'll need the DA, what's left of it, on standby and be ready to tell the teachers everything. I'm sorry I know you don't want to be left here but…"

"It's alright Harry. I know you wouldn't be able to concentrate if you were worrying about me. Perhaps it is best I stay here, you never know what He'll do when He finds Ginny has escaped." They all nodded.

"So let's go through this." Ginny tried to make her head keep up with the conversation but the facts were getting sketchy in her mind now, "Myself and Draco switch personalities or bodies, we go to Tom's manor, and are ready to stay inside for quite some time. Next move is determined by Tom. He checks me and I fail the test, then we negotiate a rescue with you three who are waiting not far away. What if the rescue falls through? How are we going to get me and Dr-" Then it hit her, the looks on their faces, the silence that had drifted in, "Draco you are coming back aren't you?"

"If the rescue goes to plan then yes I'll come back. But it is so important before we leave we plant in their heads the idea that I might be the Key. They'll test me and because we've swapped they'll think I am right. Then we get out fast. It wont keep them away for ever, but it will buy us all some time." Draco looked grave, and Ginny knew he wouldn't budge. She looked to the others but none could meet her gaze, they weren't going to stop him either.

"How are we going to swap?"

"Polyjuice Potion." Hermione muttered "I can practically make it by heart.

"Doesn't that take a whole month to brew though?" Cho asked,

"Yes. But Draco said there's no rush." Ginny felt sick, dead.

"So this is it then. We're going to trick Tom Riddle and I am going to betray you. We've got a month."


	13. Don't Look Back!

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry about the amount of sex in this story, i try to only put it where i feel it is appropriate! Hope you like this chapter, there's more about the Weasley's secret life fandango in it! yay. Thankyou again for your unwavering support! i will definately make an end chapter dedicated to all of you (im gona keep the contents of it a secret for now). Please review!

--

As the week progressed Ginny noticed the group become tighter, become friends. It was strange seeing as not that long ago Harry and Ron had been Draco's archenemies, but it was true that he had drifted from Slytherin and most of his old cronies hated him with a vengeance. Many things about Draco had changed since Ginny first remembered meeting him: he had become less arrogant, less harsh, more quiet, more reserved in his opinion, more mature and more smiling.

It was the Thursday of the last week before the betrayal, and Ginny was walking hand in hand with Draco through the grounds. They had just finished doing their stint of watching and brewing the polyjuice potion and swapped with Hermione and Ron who would look after it this evening. It had become pretty much Ginny's focus in life right now: getting the potion ready and preparing herself for what was coming.

"Draco we are going to pull this off, aren't we?"

"I don't know, Ginny, I just don't know. There's so much uncertainty. I mean, I have to go into the manor as me, so I act right, but then have to switch to you once inside. And we both have to do it at the same time…its so…fraught." He finished quietly, gripping her hand. They stopped for a moment so Ginny could lean her head on Draco's chest, taking comfort in the warmth, feeling more lost by the second.

Ginny glanced around at dear, dear Hogwarts, wondering briefly if she'd ever see it again after tomorrow. Then she caught sight of a couple lying down by the lake, the boy was lying on his back and the girl sat up on her elbows close by, they were talking, just talking to each other but it made Ginny's eyes prick. That could be her and Draco, in a different time, a different world, maybe just in a different love; but it wasn't. Then she saw who it was,

"Draco is that George?"

"Yes he's with his girlfriend, Rianna, didn't you know?"

"NO!"

"Gin, sshhh." Ginny's mind hit free fall, _how the hell can there be so much I don't know about my own brothers. First Charlie then Fred, now this? What the hell is going on? _

"Gin, he probably didn't tell you because she's a Slytherin. I'm not being horrible but your family is not the most accepting in the world, dearest, and neither is hers I shouldn't think, although, they are one of the rare Slytherin families who are part of the aristocracies but not involved with the Dark Lord. Maybe they're ok with it, the world is changing, you never know."

"Oh Draco, do you think we'll change the world enough for us one day?"

"Oh I don't know. We could give it shot, eh? What do you reckon?" Ginny laughed out loud

"Of course. Yeah! We'll do it Draco." And they put their arms round one another to walk up to the tower.

--

Draco gazed contentedly at Ginny's beautiful naked body lying opposite him in the sheets. He was so lucky, and he might be about to give it all up; a terrifying thought. He stoked his hands up and down her arms his touch getting gradually lighter then he rolled her over so he lay on top of her. They kissed deeply holding onto the taste of each other. Draco let his hand slip between her legs, he kissed all the way down her chest to her stomach and then back up again, growling softly as he watched her breast rise and fall heavily. Smoothly, easily, the two bodies joined and Draco held Ginny's face between his hands, gazing right into her eyes, communicating between them things that could never be said.

"I love you Ginny." He whispered, leaning his cheek against hers and choking back tears, worrying painfully about the future.

"I will always love you Draco." She struggled to reply, given to both pain and pleasure in equal measure as the movement of their hips became more frantic. Draco wondered why things always had to be so complicated, if only it could be himself and Ginny for eternity with only their feelings for each other; that would be bliss.

Friday spun by and Ginny and Draco had to separate for lessons, they didn't see each other until nightfall.

The small group of frightened teenagers were standing close together by the gates; fear feeding through the ranks like poison. Draco was numb to it all. The only real thing he could feel, and knew was right, was Ginny's hand in his, still and calm, no shaking or nerves; his stability forever.

"Have you got everything?" Cho's voice was high and nervous.

"Two bottles of Polyjuice Potion, here you go Draco, Ginny. One invisibility cloak, Harry you had better have that. DA coins everyone? Good. I think that's it, doesn't seem like a long list considering what we have to do." Hermione's voice wavered as she clung to Ron's arm.

Harry and Cho embraced. As they held each other Harry whispered something to her and stroked her hair. They didn't kiss but Draco saw, oh so clearly, the pain it caused them to pull apart. And then they left her. As Draco looked back she seemed smaller than ever, stood alone in the dark grounds, watching them walk away possibly for the last time ever.

The group aparated (Ginny side-along with Draco) to a spot under the cover of woods about a mile from the Dark Lord's mansion.

"Ok we're ready to go in. Are you guys ready to wait? It could be any amount of time up to several days." Ginny looked at the others,

"We're ready. Just go." Harry replied and Draco nodded to him.

As they drew nearer to their destination Draco dropped Ginny's hand.

"Tie me up." She whispered to him,

"It's so unfair that your saying that and we're not about to have sex."

"One day Draco, one day." She laughed and he bound her, as gently as possible, with magical cords.

"You're going to need to struggle a bit baby. God that's going to look so darn sexy it's unfair." Draco whispered to her.

The Dark Lord's mansion was hauntingly familiar, it brought sick up in Draco's throat just to look, but he swallowed it down trying to focus on making it look as though he had captured Ginny but desperately trying not to hurt her at the same time. It shouldn't be too hard; the Dark Lord already thought he was a pushover since he had bluntly refused to kill someone at His bidding (and paid sorely for it). As they reached the wrought iron gates Draco bared his left arm and felt a horrible, guilty twinge in his stomach as Ginny flinched from the dark mark. They proceeded up to the door of the mansion, which Draco pushed open with more confidence than he felt. Once inside, McNair, un-hooded now he was inside the safety of Dark Lord's house, stopped them instantly,

"Wha'cho doin' 'ere Malfoy. Meant to be at school in'cha?"

"Present for the Dark Lord, special request." Draco drooled smoothly "Don't know where He wants her though…maybe I should take her to a spare room till He calls for her?"

"Oi oi! Don't try nothing funny if He's after her. You can do better than that anyway. Nah. I'd take her straight on down if I were you Draco." Draco gulped, not at all what he planned on.

"But maybe if I just…"

"Get on with it! Or I'll report you." McNair snared at him; pleased that he was terrified and showing it. Draco swallowed hard again and then pulled Ginny down the hall after him. He could feel her silently trying to communicate but it was useless; his usual ability to guess what she was thinking had been numbed by fear and he couldn't let any emotion show while he was inside this place.

As he reached out a hand to open the door to the Dark Lord's 'study' Draco felt Ginny tremble. Briefly they tried to hold hands, fingers fumbling, grappling with each other before they broke apart and the door swung open.

Draco began to shake as he felt Voldemort looking right at him. _What if he knows, what if he's reading into my mind? _


	14. In his lair

**Author's Note:** Very quick one from me: Thankyou to all my amazing supporters, I love you more than anything, you rock! Warning...this chapter contains proper creepiness between Voldemort and Gin. Please don't read it if this sort of perverted kind of relationship is going to offend or upset you in anyway. Enjoy...

--

Ginny felt no fear when she saw his eyes. Pure adrenaline, a rush of something, a barrage of unexplainable feelings; but definitely no fear. Behind the hideous mask of Lord Voldemort Tom's eyes were shining brighter than Ginny had ever seen them, she could have wept for joy but Draco was here and no feelings were to be shown.

"Leave it with me Draco." Tom hissed, "I have business to attend to."

"But My Lord…surely…if I could just-"

"Go! Or you will feel my wrath Draco Malfoy." Draco flinched, hesitated for a second as if considering protecting Ginny, and then left. Ginny found her heart crying for him.

"Ginnerva Weasley."

"Tom." Ginny's voice was a sigh, and in her mind Lord Voldemort was shimmering between his current self and the image she held fast of a younger Tom, the one she so desperately wanted him to be.

"You know why you are here?"

"You want to know if I've still got the power." Ginny purred drawing closer to him and the power he radiated "What do you think Tom? Do I look like I've weakened to you?"

"Not in the slightest. You are every bit as…powerful…beautiful, as you ever were." Tom smiled at her and Ginny felt lulled a little, but still her breathing was ragged with- what? She had never known where she stood with Tom so irrational were her feelings.

Slowly, following her instincts Ginny walked towards him and reached out a trembling hand and touched his face. Her heart wrenched, tears springing to her eyes to pity the lonely, lonely little boy that had never known any love or laughter. Her hand caressed his skeletal cheek gently and Ginny's searching eyes watched as his own hollow ones drift closed at the probably the first warmth he had felt in months, maybe years.

"Ginny I need to test you for the power. Now."

"Please Tom, let me sleep a bit first. There's no rush, I wont leave you."

"I don't trust you Ginny." Ginny frowned,

"You always used to."

"You're too strong so I can't use Leglimency against you. Do you know you're the one person whose mind I cannot deduce, tamper with and completely unhinge?"

"I guessed it Tom, or you might have tried, though maybe not because of what we felt for each other."

"Ginny dear, don't you see I have to do it now?" His voice became stronger and the 'dear' was sickly sweet. Ginny suddenly became aware of who she was, where she was and that Voldemort stood before her now was not the Tom she loved or cared for. He was very much more real than her pathetic childhood fantasy, a fantasy that had become too real for her own good, and she wasn't going to make the same mistake again.

"No Tom, not now. Please."

"What have you got to hide girl?" Tom stepped towards her and took her head in both hands and Ginny flinched even though she knew he couldn't read her mind. She was scared now, even if she hadn't been when she entered the room.

"Tom…let me read to you tonight. Tomorrow you can do this power test. Let me tell you a story like I used to." Ginny was only half pretending. Half of her knew this was something she had no choice but to do the other half of her wanted to turn back time.

"Ginny…" Tom's voice broke.

She led him to the fire, the only source of light in the room, and Lord Voldemort sat on the floor like a lonely child. It was only with Ginny that Tom was ever present in his head any more. Ginny sat opposite Tom, hand over his and began to tell the tale she had memorised by heart: Romeo and Juliet.

--

Draco paced his room. He was waiting for the DA coin to glow so he knew that a message was coming. He thought it ingenious that Hermione had come up with the idea of the DA coins all by herself, incredible, that they had never been caught. His heart was slamming against chest: _what's taking her so long? I hope, really hope that He hasn't tested her already; if He has then this is all for nothing._

"Draco." The gentle whisper echoed through Draco's mind like a scream. He spun round.

"Ginny." A sigh of relief, "Where've you been all this time? Has He tested you?"

"No."

"Then what?" Ginny took Draco's hands and led him to the bed, the only piece of furniture in his dark, dingy quarters.

"If I told you…you'd never, ever believe me." She said simply gazing into his eyes.

"Try me." Draco's voice was deadly calm; but he felt ready to explode if he didn't like what he heard.

"I was with Tom. I was…telling him a story. Like I used to."

"What? You, Ginny Weasley, were reading Lord Voldemort a _bedtime story_!!" Draco was utterly bewildered; it couldn't possibly be true- Lord Voldemort?! And yet there was something comical about the situation. A smile crept across his face, then a masked chuckle, then a full, loud laugh. Ginny glanced at him and then she too caught the giggles; it was impossible to stop.

"I only got away because he's asleep. We need to report back to the others on the coins and then switch. Then you've got to go back down and be ready when he wakes up, as though I never left the room. Ok?"

"Yep. Hey Gin, the coin's glowing." Draco snatched it from the duvet and peered closely at it.

_**Cho: I can't wait any longer. What's happening?**_

"Gin, how do we reply?"

"Like this." Ginny began to twist the coin at the sides. Depending on how much she twisted it a different letter would appear on the metal surface.

Draco: We are both together. Managed to get in safely. Put off being tested till tomorrow.

_**Cho: Thank god.**_

_**Hermione: We are all together. Making an escape plan. So relieved you're safe. When will you switch?**_

_**Draco: How long does the potion last for?**_

_**Hermione: You should have enough to carry you for 8 hours. Is that enough?**_

_**Draco: It will have to be. What time is it now?**_

_**Cho: 3am. **_

_**Draco: We'll change at 5am. **_

_**Hermione: We'll be waiting near the mansion as soon as it gets light. As soon as you need rescuing tell us!**_

_**Draco: Ok. Bye for now, good luck.**_

_**Hermione: And you.**_

_**Cho: Good luck all of you. I'll be waiting. **_

Draco looked at Ginny. He was scared, and so was she. He stroked her beautiful long hair, and her soft cheek, her smooth neck. _God I've never felt this. Never. If only I'd known I would have been hers so long ago. Why are we in love? Things could be so simple… _They lay down together and Draco clung to her like a drowning man.

--

Ginny felt nervous as she watched the clock tick. How long would it be before she (in Draco's body) was called to watch herself fail the power test? _I wonder how Draco is holding up against Tom? He doesn't have a clue how to act like me. _

It was already 10 O'clock and Ginny didn't know whether she ought to have gone downstairs by now. Were their things Draco normally did while he was here? So far she had sat on the bed for 4 and a half hours since Draco had left her at 5:30 and she hadn't slept a wink.

"Oi! Malfoy get 'ere. He wants ya!" A loud rough voice sounded from the corridor outside.

"Coming." Perhaps her tone was too subservient for Draco; problem was she just didn't know.

"Wha' you been doin' in there for so long then, eh?" She looked defiantly into the face of a large brutish man. Guessing he didn't have much in the way of a brain she decided to take a risk and stand up for herself, or rather, stand up for Draco.

"None of your bloody business. Where does He want me?"

"In 'is chamber. I think 'e reckons you got an impostor."

"And I think you ought to mind your own business and remember your place. If my father heard you making allegations, well…" Her heart was pounding against her ribs. Was that too daring? Did Draco use his father as a shield the way he did in school? Luckily the man gave a non-committal grunt and slouched away, leaving Ginny hoping she hadn't over stepped the mark.

Ginny found her way back to the room she had left Voldemort in earlier that morning, knowing he rarely left his hideout. She knocked, terrified of betraying feelings in her eyes, knowing that she was hanging on a very thin thread in this poor disguise.

"Come."

"My Lord, you requested my presence?" She glanced at Draco, in her body, who nodded ever so slightly to indicate she was playing the role right. Voldemort looked right into her eyes and Ginny flinched slightly, if he saw past her disguise now everything would be ruined.

"Draco have you brought me an impostor?" Ginny remembered. He couldn't use Leglimency against her. And Draco's mind couldn't be read either, while he hid in her body they were both safe. She couldn't risk a smile, but inside her heart sang with a new found power.

"I haven't. To the best of my knowledge, my Lord. What brings you to think that?"

"Ginny, which of these would a powerful wizard desire the most?" Ginny heard the falsity, the trick in his question. Powerful, as always, was a point of view. Voldemort indicated to three lengths of wood lying on the floor. One was elder, one elm and the other ebony.

"Um…I suppose the Elder, My Lord. With its relation to the famed Elder Wand." Draco thought he was being clever but Ginny knew Tom and from the anger in his eyes she knew the answer was wrong.

"And Ginnerva, show me the former Tom Riddle." He crept closer to Draco and seemed to be staring into his soul. Voldemort was daring the body he thought was Ginny not to disappoint him. Inside Ginny felt herself shudder; they weren't going to get out of this easily.

"I- I can't."

"Wretch!" Voldemort screamed, angry and humiliated. He slashed his wand through the air and Draco in Ginny's body crumpled with a cry and lay unconscious on the floor.

"Stop!" Ginny cried before she could stop herself.

"What's in it for you? Insolent boy. Crucio!" The cruel hiss pierced the room and white-hot needles shot through Ginny. She felt pain beyond what she could ever have imagined, horrific images of death and blood flooding before her eyes, her head caving in, her lungs bursting, sick swelling in her throat; unspeakable pain that hurt her physically and mentally. Then it stopped. She gasped and stood up, breathing deeply, dreading facing Lord Voldemort's wrath. He wasn't the naive sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle; he was a fully-grown man, a warlord, and he was angrier than he'd been in a long time.


	15. Ironic

**Author's Note: **Just another quick ramble about how much I love all my wonderful supporters who make me happy every day by reviewing, favouriting and just by reading; the number of hits on this story is just overwhelming! Ok so this chapter leaves a few untied ends (hopefully not too many)...enjoy the suspense, trust me this is happy (yes i know, strange) but it's not going to last. :p

--

"Please, my lord!"

"Fool!" He hissed again, darting suddenly so close to Ginny she could smell him; a smell she knew too well. It was all she could do not to cry out with the pain she felt inside her.

"But those things you asked her. They're easy." Ginny pleaded desperately, trying to draw his attention away from Draco, in her body, who was stirring feebly in the corner.

"What?" The quiet tone of voice was much more sinister than his scream.

"I- I can do it. My lord."

"Show me." Their eyes locked. A dare. If she failed she would most certainly die.

"A truly powerful wizard wouldn't desire any of those wand types. If he were truly powerful he would need nothing at all. A true power relies on nothing or no one, it comes from within." Her voice shook; she had to say it right. Wording it slightly differently to how Tom had phrased it, if she blew her cover now they'd never get out alive.

"And the other task." Ginny took a shaky breath, calmed herself and closed her eyes. In her mind he was perfect, pure radiance, smiling at her and Ginny resisted the urge to smile back. Carefully she began to open her eyes, feeling a sense of power and control run through every inch of her body making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Ginny held his image steady in her mind, it wasn't hard, while slowly focusing in on the silent room around her. When she fully opened her eyes Ginny blinked hard, almost unable to believe she had done it as easy as that, as if she had known all along how she could bring him back. Tom stood before them for a second and Voldemort stretched out a curious hand, then Ginny's concentration slipped and he vanished in an instant.

Lord Voldemort's look was a mixture of fear, anger and curiosity, a dangerous cocktail in such a powerful and evil being. Ginny felt a weird tingling in her left leg. She glanced down, her coin was glowing through her pocket, Draco must have alerted Harry and the others. She glanced at him and he nodded slightly.

"Go."

"Where? My Lord…"

"Up to your room. Ginny I will deal with later but for now…I suppose you may do as you wish with her." His leer was pure evil.

--

Draco and Ginny backed carefully from the room shutting the door firmly behind them. Draco didn't dare to even whisper until they were climbing the stairs up to the ground floor of the mansion.

"How did you do that?"

"I know him." She replied simply. Draco had never seen anything as powerful in his whole life as when he had seen Ginny bring back the Tom from the past, the power that had radiated from her being had been awesome, he could certainly never match it, he doubted if even Harry could. She was something else; and she definitely was The Key.

"I told Hermione to get us out, I just hope she has a plan."

"She will. She always- Draco! What's that?" Draco looked to where she had pointed. Smoke was billowing in a huge, fast moving cloud covering the ground floor. It was near impossible to see as Draco grabbed Ginny's hand and dragged her into it. It stung his eyes and burnt in his mouth but he didn't care; he had to get her out. Then Draco heard a terrifying sound. He recognised the roaring and hissing instantly, though sincerely wish he didn't. It was fiend-fire. Ginny screamed; chasing them up the hall was a huge dragon made of deadly flames, licking to touch the ceiling and spewing out hot ash, destroying everything in its wake. Draco tugged Ginny harder, dragging her along, running as fast as he could and all the while shouting for his twin.

"Hermione!" He roared as loud as he could but the fire was echoing so loudly in his ears he couldn't hear himself, let alone hope for anyone else to hear him. "Mione! Hermione! Please…" He spluttered the last word desperately so that only Ginny heard. She gripped his hand tighter and pulled him along more fiercely still.

"Draco! Ginny!" Draco heard her voice but couldn't see her. He followed his instinct, some kind of built in tuition that would lead him to his sister, dragging Ginny roughly behind him as she couldn't see a thing any more.

Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled them round a corridor and suddenly into darkness. Draco nearly fell down a flight of stairs that he hadn't realised were there, almost catapulting Ginny with him.

"Mione where are we?" He spluttered through a smoke filled throat.

"These stairs go to a sort of cupboard, thing, I blasted a tunnel out while the boys were creating a distraction. I had no idea they were going to use Fiend-Fire though." She shuddered and Draco nearly braved a smile.

She led them into a tiny room at the bottom of the stairs and pointed to a rather jagged opening in the wall.

"And Voldemort didn't notice you blasting a hole in his mansion? His standards are dropping-"

"Draco he knows we're escaping. I saw that in his eyes. He is letting us go, I just wish I knew why." This unnerved Draco hugely; he hated the thought that Voldemort already knew what they were doing.

"Let's just go." He muttered. He gave Ginny a gentle nudge to follow Hermione and then knelt down behind her and began to crawl. They crawled for several minutes and in the darkness Draco felt himself changing back to his original form. He breathed a sigh of relief, not that Ginny was gorgeous, but he preferred seeing her body to actually being in it.

"Ginny you know your bum is much nicer when I'm looking at it than when I'm wearing it." Hermione giggled but Ginny remained silent, "Gin, you ok?" He scrambled forwards and grabbed her arm in panic as she cried out. "Ginny what is it? Talk to me…"

"He knows your escaping. He doesn't care about me but he wants you in the building. For gods sake Draco, move! Comfort me later we need to get out. Mione call the boys out we need to go now!" Draco jumped to attention at the sound of authority under the pain in her voice. His breath caught in his throat as they pelted down the passage as fast as they could mange, panic rising like bile. _Get us out, please get us out, give us time. I'm not ready to leave her. Please, I'll do anything; just give us more time._

--

Ginny gasped in her first breath of fresh air with relief and managed a few seconds of bliss before the panic caught up with her once more. She grabbed for Draco's hand clinging to Hermione with the other. Draco looked pale, he seemed to be numb with fright, Ginny understood but had no room in her head for sympathy; they needed to move fast. She dragged him after her, legs burning up like fire but unable to stop.

"Mione where are they?" Ginny began to slow as she heard angry shouts behind them, spells catching up with them and huge impassable gates ahead of them. They were trapped. "Harry! Ron! Help!" Ginny screamed till she felt her lungs would burst, clinging to Draco and Hermione in desperation. A spell shot between past her and Hermione dived to the floor, Ginny's hand fumbled and lost her grip on Draco, as he too had to dodge a flying curse.

Then there was a rushing sound. It could be friend or foe, Ginny didn't care, she reached a helpless hand to the air and felt another close around it. She scrambled her way onto the broom and wrapped her arms tightly around Harry's waist, glancing to see Draco on his own broom and Hermione sharing Ron's. They climbed fast to avoid the jets of deadly light and only began to move towards Hogwarts when they were well under cloud cover.

"Bloody hell." Ron shouted from behind them,

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…" Hermione moaned repeatedly and Harry just laughed aloud. They were used to this; the trio. Ginny and Draco most certainly were not. She glanced over at him and they shared a shaky smile, Ginny knew they would both need some comfort tonight. _How much time have we really brought ourselves? I give it a couple of days tops before Tom comes looking. _

It seemed to Ginny that the flight home took forever, somehow it was already early evening, time in the manor had spun out of reality. They skidded to the ground just outside the gates and Ginny detached herself hurriedly and ran, shaking into Draco's open arms. He caught his hand in her hair and ruffled it wildly, kissing her neck and burying his face there. Similarly Hermione and Ron were exchanging a rather frantic and relieved kiss. Only Harry looked lonely and drawn.

Then, just as they crossed through the gate a lone figure pelted towards them across the lawn, her black hair flying behind her, her cry a mixture of fear and joy. Ginny felt her eyes prick as Harry caught Cho in his arms and spun her in a circle, holding her head close to his and whispering to her. This was the cue to break up the group. They had done what they needed for now. Ginny gently tugged Draco's hand and they began to walk back to the tower slowly and thoughtfully; each equally scared.

"We did it, love." She whispered as she entered the room with a smile, the familiar smell reassuring her.

"_You _did it. I can't believe how powerful you are. I certainly can't match it. Voldemort…he was…well he is right. You are the only one who can do it."

"I know. I scare myself sometimes." She smiled a little, "Now where were we? You were going to tie me up and I was going to struggle…" Now the smile grew and the worrying lines seemed to drop from Draco's face as he returned the smile.

Ginny let him remove the too large Slytherin uniform she was wearing (he was wearing the same). When they stood facing each other naked only then did they dare let their lips brush. Sweet bliss rushed over Ginny as their bodies locked in an embrace that she wished would never end.

"Why can't we stay like this forever? From now until they burn our bodies, just hold one another and let the world fall around us. Why can't we do that?"

"Would you do that with me Ginny? I don't think we could ever leave the world. Ironic, they condemn us so we can't be together yet we can't abandon them. Time doesn't freeze because we want it to. But god I wish it did." He breathed in the soft smell of her skin and hair; she was oxygen.


	16. Night Night

**Author's Note: **Sorry about the cliff hanger! had to do it :) stick with me guys, you've been incredible supporting me and reading the story this far...it's about to be worth it just to see the ending. Please keep reviewing, you don't know how happy it makes writers to have their work reviewed! and just so you all know...there will be a part 2 of this, it's in the works right now! excited thankyou, peace and i love you all... x

Everything seemed so simple when it was just the two of them making love to each other, Draco thought as he watched Ginny's chest rise and fall gently in her sleep. Things didn't matter when you had someone to love this much. Though deep down somewhere inside him the panic would not settle and he knew why; because this wasn't going to last. In his minor lapse of panic Draco thought he saw lights flashing up at the castle, he even laughed at himself, he was getting paranoid. _No I'm not. There are lights going on in the castle. I wonder what's up? _

Draco removed himself from the bed, pulling on his underwear and trousers as he went to peer out of the window. He saw a group of people leaving the school by the main gates, wands alight, this had to be bad news. He finished getting dressed, trying to keep himself calm. The one thing he didn't want to do was frighten Ginny so he tucked her up under the covers to keep her warm, he drew the curtains to block out any light flashes and turned up the lamps in the room a little so she wouldn't notice any change outside; he knew what was happening and if he was right then this was goodbye. Draco gently placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered to her,

"Night night baby, I love you."

--

Ginny woke suddenly, knowing without having to check that Draco had left her side. She glanced around the room and noticed the lights were brighter and curtains were pulled right across,

"Draco you asshole, what are you hiding from me?" She whispered to herself. Ginny got dressed in record time and wrenched open the curtains. All the lights were on in the castle but the grounds were still as death. Something was going on inside the main part of the castle and Ginny could sense confusion and panic from here even. "Oh Draco, what have we done?" She grabbed her wand and looked around the room, everything was as it should be: the bed was messy, towels cast aside carelessly in a pile, dirty washing falling from the basket, chocolate wrappers on the dressing table, Ginny's school work mixing with Draco's art and writing in a mess on the desk, this was perfect. Ginny blew a useless kiss into the air and magically locked the door as she left, whatever happened now no one, but no one, was going to change this room.

Once she had left the tower Ginny felt the cold biting her skin, she shivered and glanced to her watch, it was 2:00 AM yet where she should be tired adrenaline was messing with her body as usual and she felt wide awake. The anticipation dragged Ginny closer like a magnet until she couldn't help but run. She expected to hear a great deal of noise and commotion as she entered through the main doors but instead she heard one voice, magically magnified, echoing round the great hall where everybody seemed to be gathered. As Ginny crept in at the back of the gathering she saw Harry stood where Professor Dumbledore usually would talking to the students, teachers all conspicuous only by their absence. She couldn't see Draco so began winkling her way through the crowd to the front, listening intently.

"As you know the Death Eaters and possibly also the Dark Lord," Ginny noted he didn't say Voldemort in front of all these people. "are waiting outside the school, I don't know what they're waiting for but I can guess when they get in they will attack us. The teachers have split, some to try and head off the Death Eaters and some to rally the Order of The Phoenix…" Harry paused, looking grim, and Ginny could read his thoughts like a book. "So we have to protect Hogwarts. If you're under 5th year you are going home and that's final no negotiation. But if anyone in 5th or above wants to stay to defend the school then they can, no pressure though, of course you can leave if you want to. Now down to business." Ginny had managed to fight her way to the very front of the crowd now and stood in a huddle with the other DA members, but still she couldn't see Draco. "Now a few of the older students have already gone out in groups and positioned themselves around the school so they're ready for…ready when…it happens." Ginny noticed that Harry had always been so strong and tough-talking they had taken it for granted, but his courage was failing him now. He looked down saw her and gave a gentle nod, indicating that Draco was one of the groups already fighting. Ginny struggled with the instinct to run out and find him and beg him to run away with her, she knew she couldn't. "I want Parvati and Lavender to…" Harry's voice trailed to echoes in Ginny's mind. She was floating away in her own little dream world while Harry planned out attack groups, her dream world where Draco was kneeling opposite her mending her bruises and touching her for the first time, on the cheek, just after the first night party. Cho tugged Ginny's hand,

"We've got to go and defend the entrance to the room of requirement, all the students are escaping that way, turns out it's the only room you can apparate from. Come on!" Ginny sensed the urgency but didn't hear the words; it was a dream.

A dream in which her and Cho ran up to the room of requirement, where they could already hear bangs and screams, but they were distant, detached. Then a louder bang that shook the whole castle and nearly knocked her off her feet; bringing her sharply back to reality. Five older students were waiting inside the room of requirement to side-along apparition with the younger ones and then return for more. The panic was spreading and Ginny was getting frightened. She saw a first year fall over after a ground shaking bang, Ginny dashed into the crowd of panicking, screaming students all pushing to get into the room of requirement. She hauled the first year up quite roughly and shoved her hand into the hand of a passing 5th year.

"Take her home!" She yelled before extracting herself from the melee. Ginny glanced for Cho but she was nowhere to be seen.

A whistling sound came very close to them all of a sudden, a window smashed and a green light was visible for a fraction of a second. It was going to hit Ginny. And she stood frozen, unable to move or react. Why should she care if she died? Suddenly, from nowhere, a pair of strong hands, Draco's hands, gently pushed her sideways, guiding her out of the way of the harmful beam, giving her hope. Ginny looked around desperately,

"Draco?" But he was nowhere to be seen, yet she knew he, or maybe his spirit, had saved her, and now she knew it was useless pretending. She had to find him.

But before she could process the thought Ginny's world was rent apart. There was a huge amount of noise, screaming, banging, scraping, crying, every noise an explosion in Ginny's mind as she spun through the air. All she could think to do was to cling to her wand for dear life. She knew she was falling because flashes of people and walls and windows kept appearing before her at odd angles. She fell for a long time.

--

Draco felt and heard the school exploding behind him; he felt sick. Ginny was in there somewhere and he hadn't explained everything yet. _I need to say…so much, there's so much I have to say. _He felt like a coward, crouched at the base of the whomping willow. He was defending it in case The Dark Lord knew that route into the school. So far the teachers seemed to be holding up well because not many Death Eaters were inside the school but Draco knew in his heart that this was just the beginning and the army would follow the scouts.

"Draco switch." An older Hufflepuff student stood above him. Draco rose, stretching his legs thankfully and walked away a few steps. Most of the Death Eaters were on the other side of the castle trying to get in the main doors, he had nothing to do here but wait.

He smelt the smoke before he saw the flames; the Death Eaters were trying to burn the inhabitants of Hogwarts out. Out into open space where they could kill them easier. It made Draco sick to think that he knew how they operated, knew every single plan, every strategy, every sick thought that ran through their heads. If it hadn't been for Ginny he would think those thoughts every waking moment and operate them in battle. But Ginny was, so he didn't. _I can't wait any longer, this is over, we have to escape. _

Ignoring the shouts of protest behind him Draco ran fast, fear giving his feet wings, towards the main doors, and the Death Eaters and the battle; and Ginny.

--

It took a while for Ginny to realise where she was. She lay still for a while, noticing pain in her right arm and also noticing that the screaming, crying and banging hadn't stopped because the world had fallen. She shook herself _what happened? _She had been several floors up and now she was by the entrance hall. Then it hit her. Hogwarts was falling, bowing to the Death Eaters. They were losing. Finally, it seemed so inevitable now she thought about it, she had to run, or rather, they had to run.

Ginny looked at the mess around her, the tangle of building and bodies; and felt sick. This wasn't her Hogwarts.

"Cho! Cho where are you? Cho…please…" But no sound answered her, she closed her eyes, begged it to go away. _It's just Tom playing games like he used to, he's just putting images in my head. Make them stop now. Tom stop it, darling please…_She opened her eyes again and nothing had changed. "Tom this is all your fault, stop it!" She screamed into the crumbling wreck that had been her home for so long, tears blurred her vision as she called one last time, even though she knew it was hopeless. "Cho! Cho where are you?"

Then her attention turned, she made to run outside, to find Draco and kill any Death Eaters that tried to stop them escaping. But before she had got to the doors Draco was running in them, towards her. They both grinned insanely for a moment, Ginny almost found it in her to laugh aloud. But then an eerie stillness hooked the school.

"Listen carefully Hogwarts." A terrifying high-pitched leer filled the air, how Ginny did not know, but it sent shivers down her spine. "I require something you have, that is all. Yes, Draco Malfoy…I am talking to you."


	17. Time to stop dreaming

**Author's Note: **This is the last chapter. I know...i'm crying too!! But i will be writing a short epilogue to clear up 'what happens next' before i write the sequal. Yes, there's a sequal! I'm very excited i hope you will all follow it with as much enthusiasm as you have done Forgiven Forgotten Forbidden. Thankyou all very very very much, for your eternal support, love and comments to keep me writing this. wow you guys are great. This is a short chapter, i think you all know why, there's not a lot left to say...it was going to happen and now they both have to endure it. Anyway that's far too many spoilers just read and enjoy and review...! 3

Ginny's heart stopped as Tom's word sank through her and Draco in one knife like motion. They were looking at each other, not blinking, not even breathing, and each heart was building its defence; it would never be enough but it would ease the pain.

"If you come quietly Draco and do your duty to serve me then I will leave now. I have already begun to pull my Death Eaters out of the school in preparation. You can't deny what you are Draco, you don't belong here, join your brothers in arms." Draco shook his head, eyes still locked with Ginny's. "If you refuse to come, however, you will betray everyone. Let a few hundred student's lives be in your hands. This is the choice; it's you alive or them dead. You have half an hour."

--

Draco wanted to run. To die. To disappear or turn back time. What he did didn't matter anymore. He turned from Ginny's burning gaze, she may not be scared but he was. She was his bravery so how could he go on alone? So many impossible thoughts ran through his head. He walked towards an empty classroom to his right and knew instinctively that Ginny was following him, she hadn't even bothered to call out his name to stop him, he'd never run from her.

"Draco we could run forever."

"Could we? You'd leave Harry and Hermione and your family? You'd leave Hogwarts? And safety and stability and the promise of a life? Just for me…"

"Yes. And more. We'd run and run and never be safe, but they'd never catch us and we'd love each other. That's enough for me."

"We wont Ginny. You're saying it and you don't believe I know it. I can see your eyes, you know what's happening."

"Yes. You'll come looking for me if you survive?"

"I don't think I will Ginny. Because he's going to find out eventually that this is a lie." For a minute a crazy smile lit his face, "Can you believe it, we tricked the un-trickable, un-beatable Lord Voldemort?" Ginny laughed aloud,

"Told you we could do anything."

"When he finds out, my love, when you hear of my death, prepare yourself and run. You keep running and don't let him catch you."

"I promise."

"We didn't have enough time. I wish I'd known from the start that I loved you. I wish I'd known the first time I saw you…" His voice cracked, his heart was breaking.

"Where's the fun in that? I wouldn't have had it any other way. Don't change how it was."

"But we were to busy hating and living our separate lives to just…love…"

"We've been fighters. And I'm proud. So we're going to keep fighting."

"Alone?"

"Never really alone, as long as the flame has fuel it will never die. The memory. But yes for now I suppose we will seem, to all others, alone. But remember just because they can't feel or understand, doesn't mean you have to forget."

"Of all the people I could have loved Ginnerva Weasley you are the most unlikely, and the most beautifully imperfect for me."

"Draco would all this have happened if we hadn't been in love? Is it our fault?"

"Oh yea, completely and entirely our fault. And I'm proud of it. It's a mess worthy of Potter's Trio." They both laughed again.

"Then know this. I love you more than life. And if you say you love me, and walk away now, and save so many people's lives then I will be proud to have loved you Draco Malfoy."

"I can't-"

"Yes you can. I know you can."

"Just leave? Just walk away and never see you again?"

"Yes." Tears brimmed in her blazing eyes and Draco wanted to cry too. But more than that, he wanted to hold her, comfort her, kiss her beautiful lips. "I'll always be waiting. You know that…" She came towards him, reached out a hand. She too wanted to touch and to kiss and to love again. Draco backed away.

"No. If you kiss me now I'll never have the strength to turn away and go. I have to go."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Then her turned away, it took all his effort to leave the refuge of her gaze.

--

Ginny waited just a moment, let him leave the room before her. She knew it was over now. Hogwarts had held its breath long enough; it was time they showed the world how strong their love was. What she was about to give up…unthinkable. She followed Draco exactly in step, watching his back longingly and wishing with every fibre of her being that things were different. Everyone had poured into the entrance hall to watch. Ginny knew that Harry, Hermione and Ron were waiting somewhere, but she didn't want to see them. She followed Draco to the door as the silent crowd parted.

Not once did he look back as he walked stiffly towards the Dark Lord and Ginny was glad; she could never have let him go alone otherwise. Then, as her heart died, she began to notice things again. Draco's image had faded into the dawn along with the other Death Eaters, but there was still crying around her, still pain, still grieving. There were still people dying or in danger of dying and much repairing to be done.

_Time to stop dreaming Ginny. You can__ wait for him…but not here. It's time to help; you're still needed here. There are things you can do and people you can save. You're still a fighter. With or without Draco. _


	18. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Many long hours later, they had worked through day and night, the hospital wing had been repaired and people with the worst injuries were lying in beds. A few un-injured students had gone home and they were now struggling to cater for the constant stream of parents come to see their children.

The first thing Ginny had done was to run to find Cho. She was unconscious for a while and it had taken a deal of persuading to remove Harry from her side. But she would be fine if she gave her ribs time to heal. Repairing the school would take time, so would repairing the teachers. Dumbledore had been quite badly injured and was currently in St Mungo's hospital, waiting for Harry to take up the invitation of a visit. Everyone knew that he would be asked to take up Dumbledore's mantle as headmaster as soon as he left the school, although rumours had been flying round for years about him taking the post of minister of magic.

The thing Ginny had found most difficult to deal with was the deaths. Lavender's younger sister Rosemary had perished, Pansy Parkinson too. Michael Corner and Roger Davis had also been amongst the handful of graves they had had to dig. It wasn't happy work, cleaning up the aftermath of the battle, but it was necessary and it took Ginny's mind off the unthinkable. The lost part of her. _Draco…Oh Draco…_

Pain and suffering was slowly creeping away from Hogwarts, as house-elves scuttled back and forth giving out all the food needed, and Madam Pomfrey returned to treat the wounded. The students left one by one until it was just the trio and Ginny left.

"You ready to go Gin?" Hermione asked gently, her eyes were red and puffy from all the grief she'd seen in the last few days. And, though the thought still shook Ginny, she'd lost her brother.

"Yeah I think so." Ginny nodded firmly, she was certain she could leave, she had to leave, or she'd be waiting on the doorstep forever.

"You don't want to get anything from the tower?" Ron questioned, and Ginny noted the kick he received from Mione for daring to be so untactful.

"I've got my bag, and the room's locked, the rest is going to stay exactly how it was; forever. Unless by some miracle Draco makes it back to me when we will unlock the room so we can leave." She was open about it; there was nothing to hide from any of them.

"Let's go then." Harry finalised. And he put one arm round Ginny the other round Hermione, and Ron caught Hermione's other hand and they walked together away from Hogwarts. The trio wouldn't return next year as they had just finished their 7th year, with some style. Ginny doubted she'd return to complete her education but maybe she would. Uncertainty was a value she could afford for a while. At least till Draco returned to her. Then they would be certain about things.

_It's over, much love and thank you to everybody who has read this story. Keep a look out for the sequel_


	19. Thankyou's

Goodbye and Many Thanks…

Goodbye and Many Thanks….

Forgiven Forgotten Forbidden has had a total hit number of 7979! That many people have read my story, I'm so honoured thank you all.

Thanks to all the people who added it to their favourite story list:

Adrian and Joey

GothicSorceressRikku15

LaCu2772

XxMemories4everxX

Bellaxsera

homeslice-of-a-homegirl

imaginary912

juliardfreak

snowfire81

svt

Deatheater Amelia

poweress111

swtchell

WestSide Love

wjs-starfire

I'm really happy these people think me worthy of their favourites list, it makes me feel very important. 

Thanks also to everyone who has added me, or this story, to their alert list:

Beastie

DeathlyHallows321

FirePrincessofSlytherin17

GothicSorceressRikku15

Idina Malfoy

Lingmei

LunaBella 006

Malfoy's Granger

Megsaklutz

Miss Authorette

Princess Amalee

Signy Malfoy

Sunset Ruby

Christine957

Hallee87

Hovizi

Katerz15

Native-Kitten

Purplegabby123

Snowfire81

Deatheater Amelia

Swtchell

Thank you all so much for thinking that me, and my stories are worth enough of your time to be alerted about it!

And the biggest thank you of all to everybody who reviewed, you people say such nice things that you keep me writing! Eternally grateful…

Malfoy's Granger

snowfire81

Miss Authorette

Idina Malfoy

Sunset Ruby

kempogirl0

GothicSorceressRikku15

FirePrincessofSlytherin17

XxMemories4everxX

Yuki Asao

Native-kitten

Gingerr-Gem

My favourite quotes/moments

Chapter 1:

**Draco: **_Blood Traitor and good for nothing the lot of them…nice legs all the same._

**Ginny: **"W-What?" She spluttered back, having sex for the first time with a cross breed of a troll had not been high on her list of things to do tonight.

Chapter 3:

"Thank you for last night." She managed to force out rather breathlessly, she felt like a child as she squeezed his arm to show she really was thankful,

"Hey is that all I get? Geez standards are dropping love." A mischievous smile spread across his handsome face, Ginny had to smile back,

"What exactly did you have in mind?" She smiled even wider. They feasted on the playful shine in each other's eyes. Both were learning really, both were testing their strength to take this to the next level.

Draco tucked a strand of her golden-red hair behind her ear and let his fingers linger on her cheek for just a moment. She felt the fire again, and he felt curious. He pulled her closer with his other hand, their heads were so close now, and Draco closed his eyes. He could smell her sweet, clean smell, unfamiliar yet comforting. He could feel the gentle caress of her breath tickling his cheek. He imagined, wished beyond wish, that they were the only two people in the world.

Chapter 8:

"It suits you." Draco muttered, putting one arm around her waist from behind, where it fitted perfectly and holding her cocktail glass up in the other.

"Huh"

"Oh here we go again with 'huh'. The green in the cocktail makes your hair look even more beautiful, suits you nicely, especially in this light."

"That is the worst attempt at a compliment I have ever heard Draco, try harder dear."

Chapter 10

**Charlie: **"The girl I love died Ginny. That's why I left; I never could stay here after she was gone. It's a long story but I've never told it, I guess I should. You're too young to remember anyway." He paused and gave her a searching look, and on deciding she was more than capable of understanding he carried on. "I was young and she was a Muggle. We fell in love, not just a crush, real love, Gin. But she found out too much about our world, got too close. Dad said she was in danger and we had to hide her. I tried to leave things alone with her, but she couldn't go back now so what was the point in trying to forget we loved each other. I tried and tried to explain, I swear I did, but she didn't understand why. She couldn't grasp it was vital she couldn't go home to her parents. She was a prisoner here and I hated myself for it, although we still loved each other dearly. Then Dad was brought under questioning, we don't know who grassed us in but it was only a matter of time, dad is so pro-Muggle anyway. We were terrified and tried to hide her. But there was no stopping them and the statue of secrecy is upheld by deadly bonds. They have no mercy; the ones that carry out its law, no compassion. They put her to death. Executed. And that was my life gone."

Charlie let a single tear run down his face. He didn't brush it away like many boys instead he let it fall, to show Ginny how much it meant. And to remember the woman he would always love, difficult as it was, every tear that fell for her was a tribute to her memory; and so he could never show impatience with his emotion.

**Draco and Ginny: **

"Oh my god! Draco I've just realised."

"What?" He shouted back over the rush of the wind,

"Everyone underneath me can see my knickers." Ginny squealed,

"What Gin? What did you just say?"

"I said 'everyone down there can see my KNICKERS.'" She roared back,

"Ginnerva Weasley they are _Muggles. _If they see a broom flying past them I doubt they are going to care about the view of your underwear." He paused and then added, "Although I would care, I'm sure it's a very nice view!"

Chapter 11

**Ginny and Hermione: **Over Ron's shoulder the girls exchanged a knowing glance, which managed to communicate _oh-my-god-can-you-believe-what-we-just-did-we'll-have-to-talk-later-it-was-fantastic-I-hope-you're-not-cross-oh-dear-we-slept-with-each-other's-brothers-whoops-how-are-we-going-to-keep-a-straight-face-today _all in the space of a second.

Chapter 13

**Draco and Ginny: **

"Oh Draco, do you think we'll change the world enough for us one day?"

"Oh I don't know. We could give it shot, eh? What do you reckon?" Ginny laughed out loud

"Of course. Yeah! We'll do it Draco.

**Draco and Ginny:**

"Tie me up." She whispered to him,

"It's so unfair that your saying that and we're not about to have sex."

"One day Draco, one day." She laughed and he bound her, as gently as possible, with magical cords.

"You're going to need to struggle a bit baby. God that's going to look so darn sexy it's unfair." Draco whispered to her.

Chapter 15

**Draco: **"And Voldemort didn't notice you blasting a hole in his mansion? His standards are dropping-"

Chapter 16

**Ginny****: **A whistling sound came very close to them all of a sudden, a window smashed and a green light was visible for a fraction of a second. It was going to hit Ginny. And she stood frozen, unable to move or react. Why should she care if she died? Suddenly, from nowhere, a pair of strong hands, Draco's hands, gently pushed her sideways, guiding her out of the way of the harmful beam, giving her hope. Ginny looked around desperately,

"Draco?" But he was nowhere to be seen, yet she knew he, or maybe his spirit, had saved her, and now she knew it was useless pretending. She had to find him.

**Ginny and Draco:** Then her attention turned, she made to run outside, to find Draco and kill any Death Eaters that tried to stop them escaping. But before she had got to the doors Draco was running in them, towards her. They both grinned insanely for a moment, Ginny almost found it in her to laugh aloud.

Chapter 17

"We didn't have enough time. I wish I'd known from the start that I loved you. I wish I'd known the first time I saw you…" His voice cracked, his heart was breaking.

"Where's the fun in that? I wouldn't have had it any other way. Don't change how it was."

"But we were to busy hating and living our separate lives to just…love…"

"We've been fighters. And I'm proud. So we're going to keep fighting."

"Of all the people I could have loved Ginnerva Weasley you are the most unlikely, and the most beautifully imperfect for me."

"Draco would all this have happened if we hadn't been in love? Is it our fault?"

"Oh yea, completely and entirely our fault. And I'm proud of it. It's a mess worthy of Potter's Trio." They both laughed again.

"Then know this. I love you more than life. And if you say you love me, and walk away now, and save so many people's lives then I will be proud to have loved you Draco Malfoy."

**Ginny: **_Time to stop dreaming Ginny. You can wait for him…but not here. It's time to help; you're still needed here. There are things you can do and people you can save. You're still a fighter. With or without Draco._

**Thank you once again, peace, and I love you all! X **


End file.
